


Heat of the Moment

by starandrea



Series: Wedding Series [5]
Category: Power Rangers Ninja Storm
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-12
Updated: 2009-12-12
Packaged: 2017-10-04 08:57:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 25,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starandrea/pseuds/starandrea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hunter finally figures out what Cam wants from him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heat of the Moment

  


## Heat of the Moment

  


### by Starhawk

  


Cam was gone. And the phone was ringing. He wasn't sure which he noticed first, but neither one seemed like a good omen. He'd be better off to close his eyes again, pull the pillow over his head, and just forget today.

Blake was getting married. Damn. That wouldn't work, then. He'd used that method to some effect in the past.

Why the hell was the phone ringing? He rolled over, banging his hand against the table as he fumbled for the receiver. "Yeah," he mumbled. He was greeted by a dial tone.

The phone rang again, and he groaned. Cam must have changed the ring tone on his cell. It was all the way on the other side of the room, too, by the sound of it. There was no way he was going to get there before voice mail picked up, so he just dropped the hotel phone back on the table and stared up at the ceiling.

Cam was gone. Just to be sure, he cleared his throat and called, "Cam?"

There was no answer.

The phone had finally stopped ringing. He braced his arms behind him and pushed himself up, squinting around the room. It was freakishly neat. Of course. He was sharing a room with Cam, after all. He obviously hadn't made any effort to be quiet before he took off. Too bad Hunter had slept through it anyway.

What time was it? The only way to answer that question was to find his phone, so he shoved the sheets away and swung his legs over the side of the bed. There he paused, regarding the room through half-closed eyes.

Hurricane Cam had definitely been here. His guitar had been returned to its case and stowed by the bureau. All their clothes had been picked up, Hunter's folded neatly and set on top of his duffel bag and Cam's nowhere in sight. The other bed had been made, with the "strip" card placed exactly in the middle and propped up against the pillows so there would be no missing it.

Well, that was it then. Cam was clearly not freaking out, so there was no reason for him to. He levered himself out of bed, blinking the sleep out of his eyes as best he could. He'd slept surprisingly well, considering the circumstances.

What those circumstances were, exactly, he wasn't sure. He knew he wasn't up to thinking about it this early in the morning, though. At... 7:29? How early had Cam gotten up, that he'd had time to reorganize the entire room and still be dressed and gone by 7:29?

At least, Hunter assumed he was dressed. His lips quirked, and he couldn't quite put that image out of his mind. And unfortunately, that image only prompted others. They didn't even seem real this morning--and if he admitted it to himself, he wasn't sure whether that was good or bad.

He picked up his phone and called Blake back without bothering to listen to the message he'd left. Blake shouldn't be up this early either. What was the point of having an afternoon wedding if you were just going to get everyone up at seven-thirty anyway?

Blake answered on the first ring. "Yeah."

"Hey, bro." Hunter didn't try to sound anymore awake than he was. "What's going on?"

"I'm being kicked out of the apartment," Blake informed him. "You want breakfast?"

Was everyone in the world already awake? Hunter reached up to scrub his face with one hand, trying to figure out an appropriate response. "Yeah," he said at last, staring over at the bed he'd just gotten out of. "Sure. Give me a few minutes to shower, okay?"

"Aw, did I wake you up? Sorry, bro. The girls have been up forever; I forgot how early it was."

"S'okay," Hunter muttered. "C'mon over. I'll be ready by the time you get here."

"You want me to pick something up on the way?" Blake offered. "We can eat there if you want."

He shook his head, even though he knew Blake couldn't see it. "Nah, it's fine. I'll be ready."

"Right. Be there in ten."

He really was anxious to get out of the house. "Sure," Hunter said with a sigh. He set the phone back on the bureau and headed for the bathroom, wondering where Cam was. The keys to the truck were still there, so he couldn't have gone far. Would he be hungry?

The bathroom was still damp, and he frowned to himself. Cam hadn't been gone that long, after all. His towel was tossed over the hook on the back of the door, while the hotel towels still hung neatly on the rack. Only Cam.

He had turned the water on before the fact that Blake would be here in ten minutes really sank in. He hesitated, considering the bathroom, but what was compromising about towels? He headed out into the room and cranked the windows open, turning up the air conditioning as he did so. The hotel staff would love him, but he was going to get some air into this room. Fast.

He showered as quickly as he could, managing to get dried off and at least half-dressed by the time Blake knocked on the door. Glancing around the room, he caught sight of the boxers and t-shirt folded on top of his duffel bag. Yeah, because he folded his clothes all the time. He stuffed them into the bag, closed the windows, and grabbed a shirt as he headed for the door.

Blake was knocking again when he yanked it open, and he must have looked annoyed because his brother apologized. "I didn't really mean to get you up," Blake said ruefully. "I just didn't think."

There was a lot of that going around, Hunter thought. "Nah, it's all right," he said aloud. "You tired, after last night? C'mon in," he added, backing away from the door to pull his t-shirt over his head.

"Too nervous to be tired," Blake said with a grin. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he sauntered into the room, letting the door slam behind him. "I couldn't sleep last night. And it wasn't because we probably violated fire code by having that many guests."

"It's gonna be good," Hunter said over his shoulder, grabbing his wallet and his room key and stuffing them in his pockets. "Everything's gonna go just like it's supposed to."

"Yeah, right." The wry note to his voice made him sound just like Cam. "Like that ever happens. We'll be lucky if everyone shows up, let alone does what they're supposed to do."

"Hey, I'm supposed to be the cynical one, bro," Hunter reminded him. He glanced at his hair in the mirror, decided to ignore it, and gestured toward the door. "Let's go find something to eat."

"Where's Cam?" Blake wanted to know. "He coming?"

Hunter glanced over his shoulder, checking to make sure the keys were obvious. Cam knew he could take the truck if he wanted to, right? Maybe he should bring his phone. "He was gone before I got up," Hunter said, backtracking to pick up the phone. "He gets up early."

"Gone where?" Blake asked, waiting by the door. "What'd he do, take the bus to the library? I don't think they're open this early on Saturdays."

"I dunno." He wasn't going to admit how much it was nagging at him, either. "He knows we're all meeting at eleven. He'll be back by then."

Pulling the door shut behind him, Hunter turned in time to see Blake shake his head. "I dunno, bro," he echoed. "Not telling you where he's going? That's the first sign... Before you know it, he's not gonna be holding doors for you anymore."

"Shut up," Hunter snapped without thinking.

Blake looked taken aback, but all he said was, "Sorry."

"No--" Damn it. Sure, he was fine as long as he didn't have to interact with anyone. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." He sighed, shooting a covert look around the empty lobby as they entered. "I had kind of a bad night, okay? Didn't mean to jump on you like that."

"Bad night, huh?" Blake waited until they were outside to add, "Doesn't have anything to do with the reason Cam's gone, does it?"

"No," Hunter retorted. He frowned at Blake's shrug, belatedly remembering just how much his brother must have seen last night. "What are you smirking at?"

Blake, whose expression had been perfectly calm up until that point, did smile at that. He pulled the car door open and lifted his hands in self-defense. "Hey, I'm not smirking, bro."

"You look like you're smirking," Hunter grumbled, throwing himself down in the passenger seat and folding his arms. "You got something to say, just say it."

Blake put the key in the ignition and the car into gear, not saying anything about Hunter's lack of a seatbelt. "Thought getting some would put you in a better mood," he said bluntly. "Didn't think it'd make you even more broody."

Hunter glared at the dashboard, refusing to take the bait. Not that his silence wouldn't tell Blake everything he needed to know. His brother read him better than anyone, and the only secrets he kept from Blake these days were Cam's. Blake had probably known before he walked into the room.

"So, you did sleep with him," Blake remarked, when the silence stretched out. If that was his way of continuing the conversation, it wasn't a particularly brilliant one.

"Yes, I slept with him," Hunter snapped. "I screwed up, all right? Good job, Hunter, you win the Stupid Prize."

Blake didn't answer right away. Finally, though, he remarked, "Cam looked pretty into you last night, bro. From where I was standing, he sure didn't look like he was protesting."

"Yeah, well." Hunter transferred his gaze to the window. "Maybe I should have been."

Blake snorted. "You're not gonna convince me that was one-sided, bro."

Of course it wasn't one-sided. Cam had been _on_ last night, and no one on the planet could have turned him down. Hunter braced his elbow against the door and propped his chin on his fist, staring out at the side of the road without seeing it. What else was he supposed to do with a Cam that was passionate, hungry, and very, very willing?

"He was frustrated," Hunter mumbled, watching the white line slide by at the bottom of the glass. His own reflection flickered with the changing scenery. "I took advantage of him."

"Whoa," Blake interjected, making him realize he shouldn't have said that aloud. "Cam's a big boy. He can make his own decisions. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't like you taking responsibility for anything he did."

"Somehow," Hunter told the window, "I don't think he's gonna see it that way."

"You think he's mad at you?" Blake asked incredulously. "That's crazy. You're best friends. He's practically in love with you!"

Hunter flinched. Should he have seen it coming? Guessed, or... something?

"Hunter?" Blake sounded uncertain. "He's not, is he?"

No. Because honestly, Cam? Who the fuck did Cam love? No one. Not one single time in the history of Cam Dating had he given a damn about the other person in the relationship, beyond the usual "oh, she had a bad day at work" or "he was bummed that I had to cancel." Passing stuff, nothing that had even once made him change his plans with Hunter. Cam just didn't care that much.

Blake didn't ask again, and they rode in silence until they turned into the entrance to Mickey D's. Even then, Hunter opened his mouth and closed it again, thinking better of it. But when Blake turned the car off and reached for the door, Hunter burst out, "You know what really bugs me? That he didn't tell me. All this time, he didn't tell me, and what the hell am I supposed to think about that?"

Blake paused, glancing over at him. "All this time?"

"What's wrong with me that he can't tell me something like that?" Hunter demanded. "I told him when I first got laid, and he can't tell me how he freakin' _feels_ about me?"

Blake cleared his throat, and he would have sworn his brother was trying not to grin. "Bro... no offense, but the first time you got laid? That's not a story that's gonna make someone who, y'know... cares about you, feel any better."

Hunter frowned through the windshield at the lamppost in front of the car. "It was a support thing," he muttered. "He was coming out."

"Yeah, well, it wasn't exactly about emotional commitment," Blake pointed out. "You do have a kind of love 'em and leave 'em history."

"Which has nothing to do with Cam!" Hunter said defensively. "He knows I wouldn't ditch him!"

"Like he knew you wouldn't love him?" Blake suggested.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hunter demanded, glaring at his brother. "I don't--" His glare was met by raised eyebrows and a pointed look.

He slumped in his seat, averting his gaze. Like he didn't feel crummy enough already. "If I'd thought I had a chance with Cam, I never would have slept with him," he mumbled. "He's gotta know that."

That made Blake pause, but hell, _he _didn't even know what it meant, so he couldn't really blame him. Finally, though, Blake just asked, "You think that makes him feel better?"

Hunter grabbed the door handle and pushed, climbing out of the car without another word. He didn't need to hear any more about Cam right now. He didn't need to think any more about Cam right now. All he really needed was a lot of greasy breakfast that Cam would never eat without complaining. Loudly. And for way too long.

Blake did him a favor and changed the subject for a while, going on about the chaos that had taken over his apartment and the flowers that Marah and Kapri were even now cutting and tying and wiring and who knew what else. It was enough to make a guy hire a florist, as far as Hunter was concerned, but Blake and Tori didn't have that kind of money. They were doing this entire wedding with what was essentially a student budget and the help of Tori's family.

They were lucky to be getting married at all, he thought, a little morosely. Not that _he_ wanted to get married, but of course he couldn't even if he did. Not in California. And not in any church. Not that he wanted that either. It was just a matter of principle.

Blake kicked his chair, and Hunter looked up in surprise. "You listening?" his brother wanted to know.

"Sure." Hunter had no idea what he was talking about, but Blake was stealing his fries and that was totally uncalled for. "Hey, eat your own!"

"You're the only person who orders fries with a breakfast sandwich," Blake told him.

"But I guess I'm not the only person who eats them," Hunter retorted. "If you want some, get them yourself!"

Blake just smirked, dipping another fry in ketchup and studying him across the table as he popped it into his mouth. "So, do you love him?"

Hunter choked on his soda. "What?" he sputtered. "Me? Who?"

Blake chuckled, taking another fry. He had almost finished his breakfast while Hunter wasn't even halfway done, and wasn't that a switch. "Cam, who else? You don't do dark and brooding for just anyone anymore. Do you love him?"

"Of course not!" he exploded. There was a family by the windows shooting him furtive looks, and he lowered his voice a little. "Don't be ridiculous, bro. This is Cam we're talking about. Remember, nerdy tech support guy?"

Blake just shook his head. "You never saw him that way," he informed Hunter.

"I _still_ see him that way," Hunter retorted. "No matter how many degrees or students or whatever he ends up with. I don't care how much he changes his wardrobe or how well he sings or what the fuck kind of _car_ he drives, he's still that guy who asked the Wind Rangers if they were happy with their long distance service over Shane's morpher five years ago!"

And now that family was really staring at him. He swung his head around to stare at them, and they hastily turned back to their own breakfast. There was another guy a few tables down, reading a newspaper and minding his own business as far as Hunter could tell, but Hunter glared at him too just in case.

"Whatever you say, bro." Blake's voice brought his attention back to the fry-stealing that was still going on, and he frowned at his brother.

"You want to finish the rest of my food while you tell me about my love life?" he demanded.

"What love life?" Blake countered, reaching for his sandwich. Hunter slapped his hand away irritably, and Blake just grinned. "Thought you weren't in love with anyone."

"I'm not," Hunter snapped. He took a tremendous bite of his sandwich, partly to keep Blake from getting any ideas, and partly to keep from having to explain. He didn't love Cam. He couldn't. They would _kill_ each other.

"Sure," Blake agreed amiably. "Because you panic every time you sleep with someone."

Hunter's eyes widened, and he glared balefully at his brother. It took a couple of swallows accompanied by a really irritating smirk from Blake before he could manage, "I am _not_ panicking!"

Blake frowned suddenly, craning his neck to look over Hunter's shoulder. "Hey, is that your truck?"

He had turned halfway in his seat before he caught himself, picking up the burnt end of a fry and flicking it at his brother. "Very. Funny!"

Blake was snickering, clearly getting way too much enjoyment out of this. "C'mon, bro," he chortled. "You pushed me and Tori together for ages! What's wrong with you and Cam?"

"I didn't push you together," Hunter objected. "Believe me, you didn't need any pushing!"

Blake leaned forward, his grin fading to an insistent smirk. "What's wrong with you and Cam?" he repeated. "Why do you flip whenever someone mentions it? You obviously get along great--God knows why. And you're totally into each other. What's wrong with doing something about it?"

"We get along because we're friends," Hunter informed him. "I wasn't kidding when I said it would last a week. Cam gave it a day," he added darkly.

"So you've talked about it?" Blake pressed. "C'mon, this is ridiculous! You already know everything about each other that drives you crazy. Most people have to figure that out after they start dating, not before."

"Yeah, which is why it would never work," Hunter said firmly. "You can put up with a lot in a friend that would drive you nuts in a date."

"Like you take any crap from your friends," Blake scoffed.

"The only reason we're friends is 'cause I can walk out on him when he pisses me off!" Hunter exclaimed. He was aware in the back of his mind that he hadn't walked out on Cam in a long time. If ever. "You can't do that to a date!"

Blake was shaking his head. "If anything Cam did drove you that crazy, you wouldn't spend every free weekend in Blue Bay Harbor with him. Next argument."

"I'm not proving this to you!" Hunter snapped.

"No," Blake interrupted. "You're not. 'Cause all I hear is you telling me that you can't be together, not that you don't want to be."

"Same thing," Hunter insisted.

"No, it's not!" Blake looked exasperated. "Look, you've never played dumb about relationships before. What's different about this one?"

"I'm not playing dumb," Hunter grumbled. "I'm just saying. Maybe Cam deserves better, all right?"

Blake considered that for maybe half a second. "Nope," he said, shaking his head again. "Not buying it. You got him through that shit with the Academy and the stuff with his dad afterward. You're good for him; you've told me so a dozen times."

"Good for him doesn't mean good with him," Hunter said irritably. "Just leave it alone, all right? We're friends. We're gonna keep being friends. That's it."

"Friends that sleep together?" Blake inquired.

"No," Hunter gritted. He was lying through his teeth, but it sounded so good. "I told you, that was a mistake. We have to just forget it and go back to the way we were."

Blake snorted. "Doesn't work that way, and you know it. You're so done with the friend thing. Trust me, I know. Once you've been in bed together--you don't go back from that."

"We have to," Hunter insisted, squashing the last of his sandwich into a little flat pancake on his tray. "Let it go already!"

"Why?" Blake demanded, equally intent. "Why won't you even think about it?"

"Because it won't work and I can't lose him over this! I can't, Blake!" He stared at his brother, finally seeing the understanding dawn in Blake's expression. He had to close his eyes, not wanting to acknowledge it himself. "It would kill me," he muttered. "Do you get that? It would kill me."

There was a long pause, and then Blake agreed quietly, "Yeah. I get that."

Hunter crumpled up the sandwich wrapper and pushed it across his tray. He finished off his soda, avoiding Blake's gaze the whole time. "Can we get out of here?" he wanted to know. "What time is it, anyway?"

Blake glanced at his watch automatically. "Just after eight-thirty." He seemed to consider that, then added, "Good time for cartoons."

Hunter felt the corner of his mouth lift, and he managed a half-smile. "Yeah," he agreed gratefully. Mindless animation was about the level of activity he was up for right now. "Sounds good."

They were quiet for most of the ride back, Hunter staring out the window and Blake thinking about who knew what over there. His cell didn't ring, and when they got back to the room the truck keys were right where he had left them. It was stupid to worry. Like Blake had said, Cam was a big boy. He could take care of himself.

He wished Cam had taken the cell phone.

"Hey, Power Rangers," Blake remarked. He had his arms crossed, tapping the remote against his shoulder idly as he considered the TV screen. "Who is this? They were right before us, right?"

Hunter glanced over at the TV just as the Red Ranger skidded to a stop in front of the camera. "Yeah," he agreed. "Cole and Taylor."

Blake backed up, gaze still fixed on the screen, and sat absently down on the end of the bed. Then he frowned, looking over his shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye, Hunter saw him stare at the "strip" card before standing up again. "I shouldn't sit on this bed, should I."

Hunter shook his head, not looking away from the TV.

Blake sighed, grabbing the single chair from beside the bureau and pulling it around in front of the TV. "All right, so Cole and Taylor defeating the pollution monsters, or something else? There's gotta be some anime on."

"I miss the Looney Tunes," Hunter said abruptly.

Blake just shook his head, changing the channel. "You're a looney tune."

"No, I'm just saying," Hunter protested, dropping onto the end of the unmade bed. "Saturday morning cartoons used to be funny. What happened to that?"

"PC, man," Blake told him. "PC. You can't blow up cute woodland creatures on kids' shows anymore, whether they talk or carry dynamite or whatever."

"But they can show Power Rangers?"

Blake just shrugged. "You're still allowed to blow up 'monsters', I guess."

Hunter watched the shows flip by. Everything was dark, dramatic, or too witty to be laugh-out-loud humor. "I miss cute woodland creatures with dynamite," he said with a sigh.

They eventually came back to Cole, Taylor, Wonder Girl and the Wuss Boys. There was some sort of marathon on, and critiquing the other teams' fighting styles kept them busy for quite a while. He kept track of the half hours as they trickled past, and every time they were voices in the hall he looked up. Which was ridiculous, of course, because Cam wouldn't be coming back with company. But he looked up anyway.

"They've got it rough this year, huh?" Blake asked, as the ten-thirty show wound down.

At the same time, Hunter demanded, "All right, where the fuck is Cam?"

They just looked at each other for a moment, and Hunter shook his head. "Don't say it," he warned.

"It's not even eleven o'clock," Blake pointed out mildly.

"Which, for Cam, is cutting it pretty close," Hunter retorted. "I'm gonna call Shane and Dustin."

"Bro." Blake stopped him with a look. "They're down the hall. Let's just go _see_ them, and if Cam's not there, then you can start freaking out."

"I'm not freaking out," Hunter grumbled. "I'm just saying. He's not usually late."

"And you're not usually a mother hen," Blake countered. "Things change."

"Not these things," Hunter said darkly.

Blake just shook his head, and of course he was right. When Shane opened the door to room 120, there was Cam on the floor in the background, sitting with his back up against one of the beds while Dustin hung over his shoulder. Cam was holding a comic book in the way that only Cam could, the way that said "I am not actually involved with this non-literary piece of work, I am only studying it as an interesting cultural phenomenon."

Dustin lay on his stomach on the bed behind him, paying no attention to Cam's obvious skepticism. He was enthusiastically describing some plot point or character element, leaning over Cam's shoulder to illustrate the story with his finger. Cam seemed to be paying little if any attention to the narrative, focusing solely on the comic book in his hands... he didn't look up as Hunter and Blake followed Shane into the room.

Even Dustin looked up. He waved an absent greeting to them, at which point Cam did deign to lift his head. His gaze slid across Hunter and Blake, a polite acknowledgement that didn't involve any actual interaction. Then he asked Dustin to repeat what he had just said, and that was all the greeting they got.

"So, where are we going to eat?" Shane was asking. It might have been directed at everyone, but he was looking at Blake and no one else was listening anyway.

Blake answered, but Hunter was distracted by Cam passing the comic book back to Dustin and remarking that he needed to get his wallet. He had left the room without his wallet? Where had he been all morning? He certainly hadn't been _here_ that long, not if he was still patient enough with Dustin to ask him about comic books.

Again, Hunter got nothing but brief eye contact as Cam headed for the door. Shane and Dustin didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary, but Blake glanced over at him as the door closed behind Cam. Okay, so he wasn't just being paranoid. Cam really was giving him the cold shoulder.

"I'll be right back," he informed the room at large. He walked out without waiting for a response.

Before the door shut, though, he heard Dustin ask, "Dude, did we miss something?"

Yeah, Dustin, he thought. Did we ever miss something.

Cam was fast, he'd give him that. He must have just disappeared into the lobby when Hunter left Shane and Dustin's room, and he was gone from there when Hunter entered. Hunter was in time to hear the door to 111 click shut as he stepped into the hallway, and he wondered if he was going to have to hold Cam down in order to have a conversation with him.

Cam had one of the drawers open when Hunter stalked in--of course, because Cam would never do something so irresponsible as to leave his wallet sitting out in plain sight. The list of things Cam Would Never Do was growing by leaps and bounds this morning. And he couldn't say that it wasn't irritating him, either. Things that had stopped driving him crazy years ago were suddenly as noticeable as the scratches on his bike.

Cam's expression was perfectly neutral when he looked up. Or, if it was anything, it was politely surprised at his presence. No resignation, no dismay... not even an honestly startled look, which meant that either he had expected Hunter to follow him, or he was controlling his expression that carefully. That was definitely a Bad Sign.

"Are you avoiding me?" Hunter blurted out.

Cam frowned a little, and it was an annoyingly distant look. "No. I'm getting my wallet." As if to prove his point, he held it up before putting it in his pocket and closing the drawer. "Happy?"

"No." He crossed the distance in three strides, invading Cam's space without apology and staring down at him to emphasize their closeness. He was willing to bet they couldn't move without coming into contact--and Cam had gone just as still as he was. "I want to talk about this."

Cam didn't blink. "That surprises me," he said dryly.

Sure it did. Very funny. Ha ha.

"Look," Hunter began, frowning at him. "Last night--"

"I know," Cam interrupted. The flippant note was gone from his voice, but his dark gaze was as inscrutable as ever. "It won't happen again."

What? Had he gotten to that part yet? No. Cam was not allowed to skip ahead. Especially when there was only one real response to a statement like that. "Why not?" Hunter demanded.

The stoic expression slipped, taking him by surprise. "Get out of my face, Hunter!"

Too startled to comply, he could only watch as Cam retreated to a safer distance and refused to meet his eye. "It was my fault," he muttered, apparently talking to the bed. "I was going through some stuff, and I'm sorry I dragged you into it. It won't happen again."

Oh, so that was what the script looked like, was it?

"Nice speech," Hunter sneered. Leaning back against the bureau in a half-hearted attempt to look unimpressed, he added, "Stupid, but nice."

"It's true," Cam snapped, provoked into catching his eye.

God, he hoped not. "Let's say it was your fault," Hunter agreed. "You dragged me into it kicking and screaming. Fine. But you know what? I wasn't the one looking like a sex toy, and you weren't the one who'd had a few beers. Which means you did it on purpose and completely sober.

"Which is how you do most things," he admitted, almost as an afterthought. "But the point is, if it happened once, it's gonna happen again. And honestly, I wouldn't mind if it did!"

He hadn't meant to say that. Cam was still bristling over the first part of his tirade, though, so it was possible that it might slip by unnoticed. Cam got mad over the smallest things.

"First off," he said icily, enunciating each word. "I did _not_ look like a sex toy."

"Yes you did," Hunter interrupted impatiently.

"No. I didn't. And second, I'm not incapable of learning from my mistakes!"

It wasn't a mistake. He wanted to say it aloud, but something told him he would regret going there on so many different levels. "It wasn't a mistake," he blurted, wishing his mouth ever listened to his brain. "It felt... it felt good, all right?"

Cam folded his arms, seeming to withdraw from him without moving. "There are better reasons for sex than just feeling good," he muttered.

"Like what!" Hunter demanded crossly. Damn him for being calm and adult about this!

"Like being in love!" Cam shouted. That was the end of the calmness, but Hunter was too flustered to enjoy it.

"Sex and love are totally different things," he informed Cam. "They have nothing to do with each other. Sex is one thing and love is--" He fumbled for a moment, then finished awkwardly, "something totally different."

"Yeah," Cam agreed, glowering at him. Something in there had earned him a full-out glare, and it was kind of disturbing. "That's my point."

"It's a bad one!" Hunter exclaimed. "Who cares what we do as long as we know what it means! Friends can have sex, okay--it happens!"

"You're not listening," Cam said quietly. He hadn't taken his eyes off of Hunter, but now his look seemed to go through him instead of seeing him. "I care."

"Oh, believe me, I'm listening," Hunter retorted. That look was too much. "My morning has sucked because I _listened_ to you last night, when you first dumped this 'love' crap on me. I guess my reaction isn't up to your standards!"

Cam had gone very, very still. "What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about," Hunter snapped. "I wasn't asleep, Cam."

That expression could have been carved in stone. "You could have said something."

"What the fuck do you say to something like that! 'Gee, thanks a bunch.' 'Okay, well, glad to hear it!' I had no idea, and if you really want to know, I'm not any closer to knowing now than I was then!"

"I didn't mean for you to hear that," Cam told the wall behind his head.

"Then next time don't say it!" Hunter shot back.

"There won't be a next time." Cam seriously looked like he was turning into a statue. "I told you, we're done. It never should have happened, and it definitely won't happen twice."

"What do you mean, 'we're done'?" Hunter asked warily. "We... go back to being friends, right?"

The first sign of emotion flickered on Cam's face then, a bit of hope in an otherwise bleak expression. "Yeah," he said softly. "Friends. If you're still cool with that."

"I am if you are," Hunter said, watching him carefully.

"I am," Cam replied, a little too quickly. "I just--yeah. I am."

What had he started to say? Hunter couldn't bring himself to ask. He knew he should; he knew he would regret not asking later, but he couldn't do it. "Great," he told Cam. "Then let's go get some breakfast."

"Oh, sure." Cam didn't miss a beat. "Because I can't wait to see where we end up with Shane and Dustin controlling the vote."

As he headed for the door, Hunter put out a hand to stop him. But he hesitated just short of actually touching him and Cam didn't pause, not seeming to notice. How did he turn it on and off like that? One second he was Angry Cam, to whom Hunter couldn't say anything right, and the next he was just Cam again, calm and wisecracking and maybe a little more subdued than usual.

He didn't hold the door, Hunter couldn't help noticing. He just pushed it farther open and let it go, so that Hunter could catch it as he stepped out into the hallway. Didn't mean anything, of course. Who did that, anyway--held the door for another guy? It was just weird.

Blake and the others were waiting in the lobby. Dustin was actually chatting up the girl at the desk while Shane and Blake argued over the coffee, and Hunter went over to join them. He was glad there was something so concrete to distract him--he really wanted coffee, suddenly. And it was free. How much better did life get?

His gaze tracked back toward Cam automatically. Okay, maybe it got a little better than free coffee. But at this point he'd take what he could get.

"We're gonna hit the sub shop again," Blake was telling him. "We figured, everyone agreed yesterday. Sound okay?"

"Yeah, sure." Hunter gulped a mouthful of too-hot coffee, swallowing as fast as he could. It didn't keep the bitter liquid from burning his mouth.

Blake was giving him an odd look. "Since when do you drink black coffee?"

Hunter shrugged. "We ready to go? When's Grandma supposed to get here?"

"She's gonna call before she leaves," Blake answered, glancing around the lobby. "Sometime around one, I hope. We're supposed to meet Rosie by two, and you know how long it takes Grandma to get places."

"Maybe we should go to her instead of having her come to us," Hunter suggested, taking another swallow of coffee. He wasn't going to be able to taste anything at this rate, but it kept him occupied.

"We're not allowed at the apartment. I'll tell her to meet us at the church if she calls too late." He turned a little, raising his voice. "Dustin, you ready?"

"Yeah dude, say the word," Dustin answered over his shoulder.

"I'm saying it," Blake informed him. "You guys want to ride with me?" he asked, looking from Dustin to Shane.

"Sounds good," Shane agreed, straightening up as Dustin wandered over to join them. Shane had a cup of coffee in his hand too, but he had obviously chosen the more rational route and was waiting for it to cool down. "We'll meet you there," he told Hunter, nodding at Cam as he passed.

"Yeah, I'm starving," Dustin complained, trailing along after them as they headed for the door. "Do you think we could call in an order on the way and get them to have it ready for us?"

"Cheap coffee," Cam remarked. He fell into step beside Hunter as they all milled across the lobby.

"Easy caffeine," Hunter countered. He offered the cup to Cam without thinking, and to his surprise, Cam took it.

Cam took an absent sip before frowning and passing it back. "Too hot," he said, catching the door when Blake let it go and waiting for Hunter to go through. "How can you drink it like that?"

Hunter just shrugged again, ignoring the look Blake threw his way as they passed his car. "Remember where it is?" his brother called.

Hunter waved at him, avoiding his gaze as best he could. It wasn't like they didn't share drinks all the time. It was only practical. He didn't know what Blake was smirking about.

He unlocked Cam's door and went around to the driver's side, watching Shane and Dustin fight over the front seat a few vehicles down. "We could beat them there, easy," he remarked as he climbed into the truck and put his coffee down. "You want to just go?"

"Fine by me," Cam answered, fastening his seatbelt. "I'm hungry."

"You didn't eat?" Hunter started the truck and put his hand on the back of Cam's seat, suddenly aware of how close it made them as he backed out. Cam didn't look at him and he didn't look at Cam, settling back into his seat as he shifted gears. "Where'd you go this morning, anyway?"

Cam put his window down part way without bothering to check the air conditioning. He really was distracted. "For a walk," he said evasively.

"For three hours?" Hunter wanted to know. "Must have been some walk."

"Yeah," Cam agreed. He was staring out the window now, the same way Hunter had been earlier. "It was."

Hunter glanced in the rearview mirror for any sign of Blake's car. "Want to talk about it?" he inquired, gaze sliding over Cam before returning to the road. He looked thoughtful but not sullen. Not as sullen as Cam could look, anyway.

Cam faced forward at last, eyes on the windshield and a half-smile on his face. "We already did," he replied.

"Oh." Hunter considered that with a frown. "Want to talk about it some more?"

Cam shook his head. "Not really," he said, sounding noticeably more amused. "Thanks anyway."

Hunter shot a quick look in his direction, just to reassure himself. Of what, he didn't know... but Cam was still Cam. With the same superintelligent air and smartass comments, the same unexpected intensity, the same silence, the same temper. The respectable front he put on for the rest of the world, when behind it he was thinking the same thing Hunter was: ya think this _matters_ to me?

So why did he seem so different, suddenly?

Now... Hunter kept his eyes on the road, but he knew. He had known all morning; he just didn't want to think about it. Now Cam was possible. He was within reach. He was available, and maybe all Hunter had to do was say he wanted him.

Damn it. Now he was worried about losing something he had never known he had. Could have. Could have had, if he wasn't so stupid. You didn't just jump into bed with someone you were trying to--

But he wasn't. He wasn't trying to start a relationship with Cam. It was just as impossible as it had been before. Whether he wanted Cam or not, Cam wanted love. And that was something Hunter couldn't give.

Could he?

"Try not to miss the entrance this time," Cam remarked.

The warning was probably a good thing, not that he would tell Cam that. He hadn't been paying any attention, and the exit really was a lot more visible than the entrance. He tried to brake hard without making it look like he was surprised, but he saw Cam smirk out of the corner of his eye.

It was too strange, too normal, to be getting out of the truck with Cam at some unfamiliar stop on the side of the road. Whenever Cam had time off he would come along for the ride, and Hunter had gotten used to road trips being one more thing they shared. There was an enforced closeness that came with it, a dependence created by traveling together, and if they argued more than they agreed then they had at least found a way to tolerate it. He didn't even notice the way they worked together anymore.

Now, as Cam locked the door without being asked and slammed it behind him, putting his hands in his pockets as he came around the front of the truck, he noticed. He noticed that Cam didn't look up, just took for granted that Hunter would be there, that they would go in together. He noticed Cam's surprise when he hesitated by the driver's side door, trying to figure out why it mattered.

He didn't know why. It just did.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he wanted to know.

Cam just looked at him for a moment. "You weren't exactly thrilled," he pointed out. Transferring his gaze to the ground, he added with a shrug, "I kind of expected that."

Hunter frowned. "You didn't want me to be mad."

"Actually, I didn't want to be embarrassed," Cam said dryly. "But if you want to think it's all about you, go right ahead."

Hunter didn't know what to say to that, and they just stood there for a moment, silent. Awkward. It wasn't the first time, but he'd at least gotten to the point where it didn't matter. Cam turned him on. He knew that, and he was pretty sure Cam knew it. But it hadn't mattered before, because they both knew where they stood.

He'd thought they knew, anyway.

Finally Cam offered, "I know, I can't... look, just ignore it, okay? I do. And it's fine."

"Fine for who?" What kind of a secret was that to keep, anyway? "Me, or you? And how long have you... y'know," he finished uncomfortably. "How long?"

"None of your business," Cam snapped. "If I'd wanted you to know I'd have told you before now."

Blake's car was pulling into the space on the other side of the truck, and Hunter stifled his retort with an effort. He hadn't even seen the car turn into the parking lot, but its presence effectively ended the conversation. He frowned over at Cam, who wasn't looking at him anymore. What was that supposed to mean, anyway?

"Hey, Hunter," Shane called, putting his hands on the top of the car as he hauled himself out. "You ever heard of a thing called the speed limit?"

"Nah, man, he doesn't believe in that stuff," Blake teased, following suit.

"It's like his job to break it," Dustin pointed out, as they gathered by the curb.

"I was doing the speed limit," Hunter informed them, deciding to ignore Cam. "Just because some people can't get out of a parking lot in under ten minutes doesn't mean I have speed issues."

"Harsh, bro," Blake said with a grin. He turned around to face them, walking backward through the door to the shop. "We don't have your experience. I swear you guys were in that truck and gone before I even opened the door!"

"We didn't have to argue over who rode shotgun," Cam observed. "And you threw Dustin and Shane off by offering to drive."

The little shop was maybe half full as they shuffled in, the Saturday lunch crowd apparently mingling with the late breakfasters to produce a decent number of patrons. There were several people at the counter in front of them, but Dustin was distracted by the shotgun argument and Hunter figured he might as well get in line. He studied the menu again, listening idly while the conversation continued behind him.

Shane and Dustin were actually discussing whether it was more logical for either of them to claim the front seat when neither of them was driving. What were they, twelve? It was like they had never grown up, just learned bigger words and longer sentences to cover the fact that they still acted like teenagers.

Of course, maybe he didn't have any room to talk there.

He hated this. He hated second-guessing himself. He didn't do it, as a general rule. Things that were past were over, and if he could have said or done something better, well, he would do it that way next time. He didn't like trying to fix things he'd already done--but he couldn't help feeling like he wouldn't get another chance to do this particular thing right. If only he knew what the right way was.

They ended up pushing two tables together so that everyone had a place to put their food. Cam sat down next to Hunter, which normally he would have expected but today made him just a little uncomfortable. One more thing he tried to overlook while Shane struggled with his juice cap and Dustin asked Blake about the honeymoon.

"Tori's grandparents have a time share in Santa Monica," Blake said, popping his own drink open with ease and smirking at Shane. "We're leaving tomorrow morning, and we'll get back next Sunday."

"The week before classes start, right?" Shane finally pried the cap off his juice and set the bottle down with a thump. "Why don't you just stay till you have to come back?"

"Tor's got some job training that week." Blake was talking around a mouthful of food, but he managed to convey his disgust at the idea nonetheless. "Plus, it's supposed to give us time to 'settle in.'"

"Dude, you're settled," Dustin pointed out. "You've been living together since June."

Blake shook his head, swallowing and reaching for his drink. "You don't have to tell me," he said. "She thinks it's gonna be different, somehow. I guess it's a girl thing."

"Speaking of girls," Cam remarked, after they had all shared a moment of silence for this regrettable truth. "Watch out for the skaters in Santa Monica."

Hunter found himself coughing, unfortunately drawing everyone's attention and earning a snicker from Cam. He'd been successfully ignoring him until that point, but it was an inescapable fact that Cam did not like being ignored. In retrospect, the whole thing was a lose-lose situation.

"What's wrong with skaters in Santa Monica?" Dustin asked, the picture of innocence.

Hunter made an attempt to clear his throat. He reached for his drink, cleared his throat again, and wondered if not answering was an option. If Cam was trying to embarrass him, he didn't have to make it worse by participating. Right?

"Nothing," Cam said, toying with his breakfast as though it was the most important part of the conversation. "Unless you happen to be a nationally acclaimed motocross rider."

"Bro?" Blake prompted. "What'd you do, bag on street skaters or something?"

"Hey, she was _not_ a street skater," Hunter retorted. "She was a chick with wheels who thought the boardwalk was hers to terrorize."

"And the boardwalk included Hunter," Cam added, abandoning his attitude of studied indifference. "Apparently she'd 'always' been interested in motocross and she thought he could teach her a thing or two."

"I could have," Hunter added darkly. "Stop smirking. You could have done something other than laugh, you know."

"She hit on you," Blake guessed with a grin.

"No," Hunter grumbled.

"Yes," Cam said at the same time. "She did more than hit on him. She was all over him and he was totally oblivious. He almost agreed to sleep with her before he figured out what she was asking."

"I did not," Hunter complained, shifting in his chair. "She was wearing an AMA t-shirt, all right? I thought she was a groupie!"

"She was a groupie," Cam pointed out. Shane was trying to swallow his laughter, but Blake was chortling without remorse. "She was just drooling over something other than your motocross skills. You're usually quicker than that about women," he noted.

"She was wearing the AMA logo!" Hunter repeated. He felt this was important and underrated. "She recognized my face! I expected her to know something about me!"

"She must have thought the whole gay thing was a cover," Blake offered, still laughing. "I mean, it's gotta be a good way to keep the chicks under control!"

"Even after that stunt with Charlie," Cam commented blandly.

"The what with who?" Even Shane was curious now, and Hunter was going to kill Cam.

"Hey, yeah!" Dustin would remember that. He had probably been watching. "Charlie Evans beat you that time at Sacramento, and you flipped him off--"

"We were dating at the time," Hunter interrupted. "He knew I was just messing with him!"

"Which he proved by kissing you in front of every camera there," Cam finished.

Hunter sighed, wondering how much more embarrassment it would take before Cam was satisfied. "It wasn't a big deal," he muttered, frowning at Shane's nonplussed expression.

"Dude, you were on the ESPN highlights for days!" Dustin exclaimed. "That was hilarious! I made my sister watch it," he added carelessly. "She never believed you were really... well, you know."

"Gay," Hunter snapped. "Yeah, I know. Thanks for reminding me. Sometimes I forget. Luckily I have Cam here to point it out every other second."

"Hey, I was just telling the story," Cam defended himself. "It didn't have anything to do with being gay or not!"

"Fine, whatever," Hunter said sharply. "The story's over; someone else talk now."

"Did I say something?" Dustin asked, looking from him to Cam. "Cause, I mean, it _was_ pretty funny--"

"Shane," Blake interrupted, slapping Dustin on the back of the head. "What are you doing these days?"

"Ow," Dustin protested. Blake ignored him.

"Just chilling," Shane said reluctantly. "Working, taking summer classes... getting fitted for a tux," he added, tipping his juice bottle toward Blake.

"Yeah, that sucked," Dustin agreed with his usual lack of tact. "I think weddings should be held in, like, whatever you normally wear. We could start a new... trend, thing, whatever. It'd be a lot more comfortable."

"Hey, I voted for jeans and disposable cameras," Blake assured him. "But the vast female majority prevailed, and we're stuck with tuxes and a photographer."

"Who's the photographer?" Hunter asked, not because he cared but because it was a diversion. He shouldn't have jumped on Cam like that, but really, what was all that about? And why was Cam the one sulking now?

"Someone Tor knows from her pottery class," Blake said with a shrug. "I haven't actually met her, but she's practically doing it for free so I couldn't really complain."

"Yeah, how are you guys doing with the whole cost thing?" Shane wanted to know.

"So far so good," Blake answered. "We swore we weren't going to go into debt to get married, y'know? And the Hansons have helped a lot."

Hunter kicked Cam under the table, making him look up while the others were distracted. He gave Cam a "what the fuck" expression, but Cam only raised his eyebrows in return. Hunter gave the others a covert glance to make his point, catching Cam's eye again and mouthing, _What was that about?_

Cam twitched one shoulder in a subtle approximation of a shrug. _Sorry._

Hunter almost snorted. Yeah he was sorry. So sorry that he had brought it up in the first place. "Dustin," he said, when the conversation paused momentarily. "Ride with me on the way back."

That got everyone's attention. "Yeah, sure," Dustin said, giving him a puzzled look. "Why?"

"So we can see who's faster out of the parking lot," Hunter told him. He didn't give Cam a single glance, and he knew without looking that Cam was avoiding his gaze just as carefully. "Shane or Cam can call shotgun before we leave, and then it'll be a fair contest."

"Dude," Dustin said doubtfully, "you think you might be taking this a little too seriously?"

"You're on," Blake told Hunter with a chuckle. "You didn't beat us by that much!"

"Shotgun," Shane added, glancing at Cam. Cam must have given him one of those "you've got to be kidding me" looks, because he held up his hands in self-defense. "Hey, I'm just saying."

"This is ridiculous," Cam informed the group at large.

"This is a wedding," Blake countered. "What do you expect?"

"Here, here!" Shane agreed, lifting his juice bottle in a mock-toast.

Blake lifted his drink in answer, clinking his bottle against Shane's and then Hunter's when he held it up. Cam didn't move, probably pretending that he had nothing to do with them--just happened to be sitting at the same table. Hunter knew from experience that the detached look was one he could pull off very convincingly. Dustin, on the other hand, was watching in confusion.

"Hey, are you sure it's totally fair if there are three people in one vehicle and two in the other?" he wanted to know.

"Rule number one," Hunter said, pointing his bottle at Dustin. "When something gives you an advantage, don't question it."

Dustin thought about that for a minute, then grinned. "Oh, right. Well, just... you know, forget I said anything."

He could feel Cam looking at him. When he turned his head, though, Cam was frowning down at his breakfast like it had turned into something completely foreign. And that was the way it went for the rest of the meal. He was sure Cam was glancing at him as often as he looked sideways at Cam, but he never caught him at it. It was irritating and juvenile, but he couldn't keep himself from checking.

His only minor triumph was that he and Dustin did beat the others out of the parking lot. Mostly because Cam was dragging his feet--in principle, Hunter was sure--but he'd take it either way. He had a sneaking feeling that it was the only victory he was going to get today.

"Dude," Dustin said, as they rolled out of the exit without slowing down. "Can you keep Blake out of the way for a while when we get back?"

Hunter frowned, checking the rearview mirror. Yeah, there was Blake's car, right behind them. "Sure, why?"

"We have to pluck rose petals," Dustin said matter-of-factly.

Hunter shot him an incredulous look. "You have to what?"

"We have boxes of roses in the bathroom," Dustin explained. "We have to pull the petals off before the wedding. Tori didn't want anyone throwing rice, so we thought, hey, rose petals."

"You're kidding." Boxes? "Rose petals?"

"Yeah, cool, huh? We don't want Blake to know, but maybe if Cam helps us and Blake stays with you, he won't know anything's going on."

"Sure," Hunter agreed automatically. He was still trying to get his mind around the concept. Shane and Dustin had come up with this all on their own? "How many roses do you have?" he asked at last.

"I dunno." Dustin shrugged. "Eight or nine dozen. The florist gave us a deal 'cause we were getting so many, and we split the cost."

"Eight or nine _dozen_?" Hunter repeated. He had to smile, partly in amusement and partly in sheer disbelief. "That's what you guys were picking up yesterday, huh?"

"Yeah. You should have seen the girl at the desk when we carried them in," Dustin added. "We each had this giant plastic carton of roses. With water in the bottom. I dunno what she thought we were going to do with them."

Hunter just shook his head. It sounded easier than it turned out to be, separating Blake and Cam once they were all back at the motel again, but Shane must have had the same idea as Dustin. He saw Shane pull Cam inside while Blake dug his tux out of the car. Hunter hung back with his brother, walking deliberately slowly but still surprised to find the room empty when they arrived. He had figured Cam would at least change first.

It took him a second to register that the bathroom door was closed. Oh. "Cam?" he called, just to make sure.

"Yeah," Cam's voice answered.

That was it, just "yeah." Did that mean anything?

Great. Now he was second-guessing Cam, too. That was just great. "How much stuff did you pay for in advance?" he asked Blake abruptly, tossing his empty coffee cup into the trash. "Should I be passing out checks, or is that all taken care of?"

"Yeah, actually--" Blake patted his pockets, then pulled out a folded envelope. "Okay, marriage license..." He peered inside his tux. "Got it. Checks, for you."

He handed over the envelope, which Hunter promptly opened. "Grandma's paying for a limo," Blake said, peering over his shoulder. "That's the first one, plus tip. The Hansons are paying for the DJ and the caterers, that's the second and third. Rosie wouldn't let us pay her, so we're paying the pianist instead. Tori's already worked out something with her picture-taking friend, so we don't have to worry about that."

"This one's for the pianist?" Hunter guessed, and Blake nodded. "Man, for a free wedding, you're paying a lot of people."

"We're barely paying anyone," Blake said with a sigh. "This whole wedding business is crazy. Do you know some people pay for special napkin holders at the reception? And customized chocolate party favors? And ice sculptures? I'm telling you, it's a freak show."

"Thanks for sparing us," Hunter said dryly. "We'll all look back and thank you."

He heard the bathroom door open a minute later. Cam emerged, still tucking in his shirt and looking totally distracted. It was a good look for him. Maybe because he gave off that neat, composed, unflustered vibe. It made the times when he did look disheveled more memorable.

He didn't mean to go there, but there was only one track for that train of thought to follow and it inevitably led to last night. Hunter looked away, frowning. He couldn't think about that now. He couldn't think about Cam kissing him, or how Cam's hands felt on his skin, or even the look on his face--

Nope. Not thinking about it. Not at all.

"I'm all set," Cam said unnecessarily, jerking his head toward the bathroom.

Hunter gestured for Blake to go when his brother looked at him questioningly. He didn't think watching Cam get dressed the rest of the way was going to help anything, but that was the plan, wasn't it? Blake would be occupied, and Cam could slip away to help Dustin and Shane. If he ever got the rest of his clothes on.

"Did Dustin tell you about the roses?" Cam asked in a low voice, tugging his vest over his shoulders.

Hunter nodded wordlessly.

"I'm going to go help," Cam told the floor. He buttoned his vest with surprising ease, managing to make it look like something he did every day. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"No shoes?" Hunter asked, giving his feet a pointed glance.

Cam just shrugged, replacing the hangar with his tux still on it and leaving the tie. "Later," he said tersely. "I'll be right back."

Hunter grimaced at his back. He hated to think how close he was to using the word "cute" to describe a barefoot Cam in formal wear. That would be two uses of the word "cute" in as many days, and he wasn't _that_ gay. Most of the time. Cam definitely brought it out in him. And that was a ridiculously weird thought all on its own.

The door clicked shut again, and he sighed. Yesterday evening he'd been startled to hear the idea that he'd stayed in Blue Bay Harbor for Cam spoken aloud. As of yesterday night he was calling him "cute." But they weren't the same thing, right? Cam could be the hottest guy on the planet and that wouldn't mean Hunter had any kind of attachment to him. Attraction and emotional commitment were totally separate things.

He tried not to think about the difference between "hot" and "cute." Girls used the words interchangeably. Guys knew better. You didn't call anyone but your girlfriend and your relatives' kids cute, and then only under duress. When gay guys used the word cute--Chantal's "gay queers," a group in which he was thankfully not included--it was a term of affection, not a measure of sex appeal.

And there he went again. Trying not to think of things seemed to be counterproductive today. Maybe if he _tried_ to think about Cam, that would work better. He could try to think about Cam pressed up against him at the bar--or climbing on top of him back at the hotel, face hot and flushed and so wanting that it took his breath away...

Shit. That definitely wasn't helping. However hard it was to "not" think about Cam, not trying not to was obviously worse. What had he been thinking when he said he wanted to stay friends? He did want to be friends. But why couldn't they be friends that slept together? Why did Cam have to throw the "L" word around like it mattered at a time like this?

It occurred to him somewhat belatedly that he ought to be getting dressed himself. The activity didn't give his mind enough to do. It kept wandering into places he didn't want to go... at least not alone. How the hell was he supposed to be around Cam now, when he knew what they could be doing and weren't?

When Blake came out of the bathroom, he took one look around the room and raised his eyebrows. "What did you say to him?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hunter muttered. He was sitting in the room's only chair, pulling his shoes on and hoping his thoughts weren't completely transparent.

"Where's Cam?" Blake asked, point blank. "What'd you do, scare him off?"

Oh. Oops. "I think he went to see Shane and Dustin," Hunter said vaguely. He hadn't actually come up with a cover story. It hadn't occurred to him. He'd been too busy obsessing over other things. "He gets dressed fast."

Not surprisingly, Blake didn't buy it. "Did you guys fight or what?" he wanted to know. "I thought you were going to bite his head off when he mentioned Charlie."

"Thought about it," Hunter grumbled. If he could have done it and gotten away with it... "I don't know why he was on such a tear this morning."

"Did you embarrass him or something?" Blake pressed. "I thought he was getting revenge for something you did. I mean, sure, it was just a story, but it was a random one and we could all see you weren't too thrilled about it."

_"Actually, I just didn't want to be embarrassed."_ The words came back to him with startling clarity, and he sighed in exasperation. Damn it. Of course he had embarrassed Cam. He had taken what Cam said last night and thrown it back in his face, with no thought for how it would make him feel. _"If you want to think it's all about you--"  
_

Okay, so he was officially a jerk. Cam had made his point. Now they were even.

"Maybe," he muttered, realizing that Blake was still waiting expectantly.

"Apologize," his brother said firmly.

He looked up in surprise. "What?"

"He's gonna make this day hell if you don't apologize," Blake told him. "So just do it and get it over with. I don't need this crap on my wedding day."

Ready to protest, Hunter closed his mouth when Blake played the "wedding day" card. Damn. He really should have stayed in bed. "Fine," he grumbled, putting his other foot down on the floor and reaching up to straighten his collar.

"You'll apologize?" Blake prompted. "Come on, I know you, bro. Tell me you'll do it and I'll believe you."

Great. Trapped between Blake and Cam, and how did they end up on the same side, anyway? "I will," he promised reluctantly. "I will, okay? We won't fight at the wedding. Or if we do," he added darkly, "it'll be his fault."

"Hunter," Blake warned.

"Blake?" he countered. "I'm just saying. If I say it's my fault and he agrees, it's not gonna be my fault, okay?"

Blake rolled his eyes. "Just leave everyone else out of it. That's all I'm asking."

"Fine," Hunter agreed. "It's not like it's anyone else's business anyway."

For some reason, that made Blake shake his head. He didn't comment, though, just pulled his jacket on and held his arms out to the sides. "So?" he asked, turning a little. "How do I look?"

Hunter looked him up and down, stood up to tug his jacket straighter, and couldn't help smiling a little. "Like my little bro in a tuxedo," he admitted.

Blake made a face at him. "I was going for 'Tori's fiance in a tuxedo,'" he complained. "Could you look again?"

Hunter's smile faded, and he considered Blake more carefully. When forced to, it wasn't so hard to look past what he wanted to see and be confronted with the reality of the day. "I think you've got it down," he said at last.

Blake nodded, apparently satisfied, and Hunter looked away. He fished a piece of paper out of his pocket and held it out to his brother. "Here," he said. "Read this and tell me if it's any good."

"What is it?" Blake wanted to know.

It was Hunter's turn to roll his eyes. "It's my toast. What'd you expect, plane tickets? Jump the border before you tie the knot?"

"Yeah, yeah," Blake said good-naturedly, unfolding the paper. "There better not be any embarrassing stories in here, bro."

Hunter just shrugged, and Blake gave the paper a cursory glance. Hunter saw him get to the bottom and then start back up at the top, reading more slowly this time. He watched, trying not to think about writing it, trying not to wonder how it would sound to someone seeing it for the first time.

Blake was smiling by the time he looked up again, giving Hunter a curiously intent look. "This is really good," he said seriously. "Thanks, bro."

He shrugged again, muttering something under his breath.

Blake gave him a confused look, and he repeated, "Cam kind of--helped a little."

His brother chuckled, and Hunter couldn't help bristling. "What?" he demanded, frowning at him. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Blake assured him, trying to stifle his laughter. "Nothing, really. It's good, bro; I like it. Tor's gonna like it too. Thanks."

"Hopefully it won't make her laugh," Hunter grumbled.

"It's not what you wrote that made me laugh," Blake insisted, sobering. "C'mon, bro... Cam helped you write this? If that's the kind of 'friends' you are, I don't know why you're worried."

Hunter's frown didn't abate. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means getting together isn't gonna make you any closer than you are now," Blake said bluntly. "You should just say you love him and get some sex out of it, at least."

"I'm not gonna lie to him!" Hunter exclaimed angrily.

"It's not a lie!" Blake shot back. "You're in love with him, bro! Just admit it already!"

"I'm not!" Hunter shouted. "I know what I feel, okay? Leave it alone!"

Blake held up his hands. "Okay, look, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to get in your face about it. Okay?" he repeated. "I'm sorry."

Hunter shook his head, more angry with himself than with Blake. "It's not your fault," he said, biting off each word. If only he could change what happened last night--it was screwing everything up. "Sorry I'm such bad company today," he added grudgingly. "Guess I could be a better best man."

"Nah." Blake was nothing if not loyal. "Besides, if I thought it'd help I'd drop Cam before you," he offered with a smirk.

Hunter grimaced. "Thanks," he said sarcastically. "That's really comforting."

"Just telling it like it is," Blake informed him, handing the paper back to him. "Thanks, bro. I mean it. That's really cool."

"Yeah, well," he muttered. "You deserve it." Sticking the paper back into his pocket, he added, "When are we doing the toast, anyway? Before we eat? Before you dance?"

"Right after we get there. You do your toast, Tor's mom's gonna do a toast, and then we can eat. Are you and Cam still gonna do a song?"

Hunter hesitated, and Blake amended, "If you don't kill each other before the reception?"

"Hey," he protested half-heartedly. _If we don't kill each other... _why did that sound so familiar? "I promised, didn't I?"

"Yeah, that it wouldn't be your fault," Blake retorted. "That's leaving a lot to chance. Cam's pretty vindictive."

_We'd kill each other inside a week._ That's what he had told Blake would happen if he and Cam started going out. They weren't, but here it was a possibility anyway. So much for protecting their friendship, he thought grimly.

"Well?" Blake prompted. "You want to ask Cam about it? You can decide at the reception if you want. It's not that big a deal to interrupt the DJ and set you guys up for a few minutes."

"Yeah, sure," he said with a sigh. He'd ask Cam. He should make a list of Things Blake Wanted Him To Discuss With Cam. "I'll let you know."

"Cool." Blake glanced at his watch, made a face, and patted his pockets automatically. "Where did I put my... phone," he finished, pulling it out of the pile of clothes he'd dumped by the bureau. "I'm gonna check on the girls."

Hunter wandered toward the door and the sink, not bothering to acknowledge that comment. He glanced at himself in the mirror, wondering whether combing his hair would make any real difference in the long run. He thought about it for longer than the question probably deserved, ignoring Blake's one-sided conversation behind him until the lock clicked and the door pushed itself open.

Cam walked in, still barefoot--had he expected that to change?--and looking more relaxed than Hunter had seen him all morning. He actually had a small smile on his face, like he was still laughing at some private joke, and he caught Hunter's gaze without flinching. His smile started to fade immediately, but he still looked calmer. Less worried.

It was kind of unnerving. Like he was getting farther away with every minute that passed. It was stupid, but suddenly Hunter wanted to start this day over.

Blake's voice was coming closer and his brother ducked between them, still talking. Pointing at the cell and then at the door, he excused himself silently and, in Hunter's opinion, unsubtly. But, since he now apparently had a list, maybe he couldn't blame Blake for leaving them alone.

Cam didn't seem to think anything of it. He came over to the sink, pausing when Hunter didn't get out of the way and holding up his hands for emphasis. "Move," he said, making a shooing motion. Points for succinctness, anyway.

Hunter didn't know what made him do it, but he caught both of Cam's hands and lifted them to his face. Yeah... they smelled like roses, all right. And that smiley face was still there, faintly visible against the lines of his palm. Smirking.

Cam was staring at him. It hadn't taken much to bring the earlier wariness back to his expression, and Hunter wasn't sure whether that was a bad thing or a good one. Bad, because Cam had better expressions, but good, because it meant he still had a chance. To fix this. To do it right this time.

"I wanna talk to you," he began, carefully freeing his left hand and pressing his palm against Cam's. They both knew those smiley faces were supposed to be each other's expressions. "I screwed up, y'know?"

He lifted his gaze to Cam's again, and damned if his heart wasn't racing fast enough to make his fingers cold and his palms sweaty. It was like the beginning of a race, before the gate dropped and there were still a million things that could go wrong: the clutch, the filter, the fuel... hell, even the brakes. Back at the beginning when you still had time to think about what you were doing.

"I'm sorry," he said awkwardly, searching Cam's face for some sign of understanding. "I didn't mean to... y'know, come off as such a jerk. I just--I was just surprised."

Cam was frowning. "What are you talking about?" Suspicious. Guarded. Probably waiting for the punchline. But... he had meant it, right? Cam didn't say things like that for the hell of it.

"This morning." Last night, but he wasn't going to say it. "I didn't--I don't blame you for what happened, all right? I mean... not at all."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Cam snapped. "But if this is about last night, I told you, it won't happen again. Can we just get over it already?"

"No," he said, pushing harder against Cam's hand before letting it go. "I can't. Look... I tried, and I can't." He swallowed, knowing he had to keep going until Cam got it and he couldn't let him interrupt. "'Cause I _want_ it to happen again, and I know you don't, not if it doesn't mean more than just sex, but you kind of sprung it on me--this whole thing, y'know?

"You've had all this time to think about it," he continued, looking away for half a second before his gaze was drawn inevitably back. "I haven't. You know I don't even--usually... really think about things. Like, how I--I dunno, feel about people."

He shrugged uncomfortably, speaking faster when Cam opened his mouth to say something. "I mean, if they piss me off, they piss me off, right? And if they're hot, then yeah... I notice, but it's not like I analyze my feelings or any of that--stuff." He censored himself at the last second and saw Cam's lips twitch in response.

"It's just--" He struggled with the words, couldn't find them. "I mean... I don't know. I'm not saying that I don't, exactly, I just... I don't know." Frustrated, he tried again. "I just never really thought about it, y'know?"

Cam just looked at him. "That you don't what?" he asked finally. "You're not saying that you don't--what?"

Hunter swallowed. "Love you."

There was utter silence for a moment. Then, quietly, evenly, Cam echoed Hunter's own reproof from the night before. "Don't say that unless you mean it."

"I'm not saying anything," Hunter insisted. "But I can't ignore this, okay? You're the one with all the self-control. I'm just the guy with the bike and a big mouth."

Cam smiled a little, gaze flicking away for a moment. But all he said was, "Not so much self-control, really."

He touched Cam's face, just a gentle brush of fingers on skin, but it was enough to make Cam look at him again. "Yeah?" Hunter said carefully. That probably hadn't been an invitation, but short of physical resistance he was going to take it anyway. "Me neither."

Cam didn't protest, accepting the kiss as though he had expected it, somehow. His breath was cool, clean, like he had brushed his teeth since breakfast. He didn't bother to keep his mouth closed, and Hunter leaned into him with relief and eagerness and maybe a little more self-control than he had claimed. Because really, Cam was good at kissing.

"Hey," he said softly, when Cam hesitated. He caught his lower lip in a gentle kiss, nuzzled the corner of his mouth until Cam started to draw back, then continued reluctantly, "Did I mention I was... y'know, sorry, about being such a jerk this morning?"

Cam sighed, stopping where he was. "Briefly," he admitted, gazing at Hunter's mouth through half-closed eyes.

"Yeah, well--" He didn't dare kiss him again, not if Cam was going to pull away, but he couldn't think about anything else. "Just don't expect it to happen again, okay?"

Cam's soft breath of amusement warmed his skin. "Being a jerk," he inquired, closing in and not taking his eyes off of Hunter's face, "or apologizing for it? Because..." He was so close that Hunter could swear his own lips were tingling. "One of them is a given, and the other--"

Cam turned his head and leaned forward, and Hunter closed his eyes in frustration. God damn it. Cam was gonna kill him. "I thought you apologizing was a sign of the apocalypse," Cam whispered in his ear.

"If you don't shut up and kiss me," Hunter gritted, holding himself as still as he could, "I'll show you your apocalypse."

He felt fingers close around his arm and he couldn't stand it anymore. One hand found Cam's waist and the other landed on his shoulder, pushing him back against the doorjamb as their mouths met in a clumsy tangle of warmth and stolen breath. "Don't mess around with me," he whispered, his heart pounding in his ears. "You're the one with the self-control, remember."

"Yeah..." Cam's head fell back against the wall, swallowing hard as Hunter kissed his jaw, his neck, tongue and lips exploring the contours of his throat. His voice was uneven as he muttered, "So you keep telling me."

Hunter smiled inwardly, finding the pulse point beneath his jaw and sucking gently. He heard Cam's breath catch, his head tipping further back even as his fingers clenched painfully on Hunter's arm. "Don't you dare give me a hickey," Cam whispered, the words of protest barely audible.

He licked the spot once more, then slid his hand behind Cam's head and put his mouth to better use. This time, Cam's arms snaked around him and Hunter pressed closer, trapping him against the wall and getting a mouthful of tongue for his effort. Fuck... Cam was _good _at that!

He felt hands against his back, his own fingers clutching Cam's clothes and then deliberately relaxing. The more ruffled Cam looked, the more Blake would smirk when he finally got off the phone... and where was he, anyway? It wasn't like it mattered, with the way the door locked automatically. No one could walk in on them by accident... they could stand there making out as long as they wanted.

And oh, he wanted. He could do this all afternoon. If kissing Cam wasn't distracting enough, those hands moving rhythmically across the small of his back, only just barely staying at a decent level--not that he would mind if they didn't, but the wondering only wound him tighter. The fabric of Cam's shirt was so thin that he could feel body heat radiating into his fingers as he rubbed them over it without even thinking, lost in the sensation of kissing, touching, feeling someone who had always been so far out of reach.

Cam didn't seem to be in any hurry to push him away, either. The closest he came was breathing, "Don't lie to me," into Hunter's mouth, which seemed uncalled for but didn't interfere with kissing too much.

"M'not," Hunter mumbled, when it occurred to him that some response might be called for. Something other than more kissing, which he was happy to offer as a bonus.

Cam turned his head, eyes closed as Hunter kissed his forehead, his temple, the line where his glasses would have been if he was wearing them. "Don't tell me you love me," he insisted, breathless but annoyingly determined, and Hunter pressed one hand against the wall behind his head in an effort to focus.

This wasn't one of those times when Cam was protesting because he thought he should. He was serious, and as much as Hunter didn't want to think about it, it looked like he would have to soon. "What if I do?" he asked at last--a reasonable question, he thought, especially when he had Cam pressed up against a wall, face flushed and lips swollen from kissing.

Cam opened his eyes and lifted his head, and it was obvious from his expression that he disagreed.

"Okay, look," Hunter said hastily, not daring to move in case he didn't find himself in this position again. He did his level best to stare at Cam's eyes, not his mouth, and to ignore the fingers that had hooked casually over the waistband of his pants. "I like you... I want you. But what do I know about this 'love' thing, right? I mean--"

A knock on the door interrupted him, and he almost swore. He would have even ignored it, but it had to be Blake, and what was so important anyway? His gaze lingered on Cam's face for a second, drawn away only when Blake's voice called, "Hey, bro, it's me."

Opening the door just a little, he demanded, "Could you _give_ us a minute?"

"I gave you ten," Blake countered. "We're gonna meet Grandma at the chapel, so get your butt in gear and come by Shane and Dustin's room when you're ready."

"Right, whatever," Hunter said impatiently. "We'll be right there."

"Sure," Blake agreed. If he meant to say anything else, the closing door cut him off.

Cam had already straightened up, smoothing out his shirt and starting to look a little more composed. "Blake," Hunter said, and Cam just nodded. "No," Hunter continued, before he could say anything. "You don't get it. I love Blake. He's my bro, and I love him. But he's pretty much it, y'know?"

Cam paused, not quite looking at him.

"I don't love you like a brother," Hunter told him. "So what do I have to compare this to? Not a lot. I don't even know what I'm feeling, half the time. Just that... being with you, like this--or any way, really--is good. I don't want to lose that."

Cam looked at him then, finally, an intent look that wasn't wary or curious or mad. What it was, though, was uninterpretable. "I don't want to either," he said quietly.

"Okay," Hunter said, when he didn't add anything else. "Well... we're good then, right? I'll--I'll think about the love thing, and you can, y'know. Think about the sex."

That made Cam smile. "Right," he said dryly. "I'll just think about the sex. That's fair."

"I can't stop thinking about it," Hunter informed him. "I don't know what you're complaining about."

Cam's smile faded, but he didn't look away. "Are you... you're not just saying this to--" He stopped, and Hunter wasn't surprised. He'd seen that coming from the start.

"Get you in bed?" Hunter finished. "You really think I'd struggle through this shit just for sex? Forget it." The last part might have been a little too vehement, but it made Cam's lips quirk again.

"Sorry," Cam said wryly. "Forgot who I was talking to for a minute."

"No kidding," Hunter grumbled. "And they say guys are easy."

The picture of innocence, Cam inquired, "Who told you that?"

"You know damn well who told me that," Hunter informed him. "Would you get dressed already? Blake's gonna be back to make fun of us any minute."

Cam didn't move. "Did you tell Blake?" he asked, his eyes dark and unreadable.

"Didn't have to," Hunter said, uncomfortable with the feeling that he had done something wrong already. "We're bros, Cam. He just knew."

Cam nodded wordlessly. It was hard to tell whether he cared or not, and he headed back into the room for his shoes and coat before Hunter could decide. He followed him with his eyes, fairly certain that if he were smart he would just let it go.

"I'm not trying to make this a big deal or anything," Hunter told him. "But Blake agonized about him and Tori to me for years. You gotta expect me to return the favor, right?"

"Are you comparing me to Tori?" Cam asked over his shoulder.

Hunter blinked. "What? No... what?" he repeated, frowning.

Cam turned, sitting down to put his shoes on, and Hunter caught sight of the smile he wasn't making any effort to hide. "Jeez, Cam, don't say things like that," he grumbled. "Not today, all right? I'm overanalyzing stuff enough as it is!"

"Good," Cam said, surprising him again. "Because you know what? I've had to think about it a lot longer than you, and it's driving me crazy."

Hunter gave him a suspicious look. "I thought it was 'fine'."

Cam didn't even lift his head, but Hunter could see him roll his eyes. "I didn't say I couldn't handle it. I'm just saying, if it's your turn to suffer a little, well, I'm okay with that."

"Thanks," Hunter said dryly, deciding not to wonder what that meant. "Now I feel wanted."

Cam paused, and this time he did catch Hunter's eye. He didn't say anything, though, just looked back down and finished tying his shoes. It was a very obvious about-to-say-something moment, and he had just as obviously changed his mind. More secrets were not what Hunter needed right now.

"What?" he demanded, not about to put up with it. "What was that?"

"Nothing," Cam said, getting to his feet. He turned away, retrieving his tie from the bar by the window and sliding it under his collar.

"No, it's not 'nothing,'" Hunter retorted. In the back of his mind, he was aware that he was being more obnoxious than was strictly necessary. But he was out of his depth here, and the best he could do was work with what Cam gave him. "Tell me what you were going to say!"

Cam hesitated again, hands on the ends of his tie as he looked back at Hunter. Then he was coming over, walking right up and pressing his mouth to Hunter's before he even realized what was happening. One hand started on his chest and the other behind his neck--there were a lot of erogenous zones between the neck and the waist, and damned if Cam didn't hit every one of them in twenty seconds or less.

Hunter didn't waste time with surprise. He kissed Cam hungrily, surrendering himself to the full body assault--almost full body... and God, didn't he wish! He pushed closer, hands on Cam's arms, sliding around to his back, groaning as Cam leaned into him and ground their hips together. How the fuck was Cam so good at that!

It was the kissing, he thought frantically, raking his fingers across Cam's back. It was just because they had been making out before that he could be so turned on so fast. God, he _wanted_... His body was hot and his brain was numb, overwhelmed by the realization that Cam could do pretty much anything to him right now and he wouldn't protest. Where the hell had Cam gotten that kind of power?

When had Hunter given it to him?

"Do you know what it's like?" Cam whispered, breath hot against his ear. His voice was surprisingly even, given that Hunter was kissing every bit of exposed skin he could find. "To think of this--to wonder what it would be like--every time we touch?"

Cam's breath caught as Hunter's hands slid down, pressing them closer together, but he persisted, "Every time we dance? Every single time you _kneel_ in front of me at a show! Do you have any idea?"

"Yeah," Hunter muttered, knowing he shouldn't admit it. But performing with Cam had been getting more and more interesting lately. "A little... yeah. I do."

He heard Cam swallow, felt his exhalation as their mouths found each other again. Closing his eyes, he gave himself up to the feeling of those hands on his body, Cam's tongue in his mouth, and the ache that was growing with every kiss, every touch, every gasp he couldn't suppress. He was in so much trouble here, and he didn't even care.

He heard the phone ring, felt Cam push him away, and he groaned in frustration. This wasn't going anywhere. It couldn't, no matter how good it felt. Blake was getting married, and wouldn't that be hell to explain. _Sure bro, I really _wanted_ to be at your wedding, but I was too busy screwing my best friend._

He didn't care. He did, and that was the problem. He didn't want to care. And if that didn't sum up the way he felt about just about everything right now, he didn't know what did.

He wasn't used to thinking about things like this, wondering whether it was right or wrong, what he "should" do. He kept it safe, he wasn't committed to anyone, and he knew how to take "no" for an answer. Sex had never been about love, not for him. But apparently it was for Cam, and he couldn't shrug that off.

Cam loved him. The strangeness, the novelty of the idea hadn't worn off yet, although the sheer terror it provoked was beginning to abate a little. Cam knew everything there was to know about him, after all. He had never expected Hunter to return his feelings, so there wasn't any pressure there.

No, Cam didn't expect anything of him. Cam would probably keep being his friend no matter what. It wasn't Cam that was making this hard--near impossible, even--to figure out. It was Hunter.

Opening his eyes, he stared at Cam's back as the other assured his brother that yes, they really were on their way. No, they weren't planning to hold up the entire wedding, and yes, he understood that Blake wasn't going to leave the hotel without them. He was perfectly composed, typically sarcastic and just exasperated enough to make it sound like Blake was the one being unreasonable.

_I want you._ Hunter formed the words silently, knowing Cam wouldn't see, knowing Cam already knew. Cam wanted him too. That wasn't the point.

Sure he wanted him. But did he love him? He didn't know. He didn't know what love was supposed to feel like. For some reason, that hadn't come up in ninja training.

If love was not being able to imagine your life without another person, then sure, he loved him. And maybe there weren't many people he could say that about right now. But he knew better than most that life didn't care what you could or couldn't imagine, and he was pretty sure he'd go on if something happened to Cam.

If love was wanting to marry someone... well, he'd never thought about it. There was no reason to. The idea of marrying Cam was just ridiculous.

If love was being with someone who made you happy, then forget it. Cam drove him nuts. How many times had Hunter threatened to drop him on the side of the road somewhere and let him hitch back to Blue Bay? How many times had Cam said it would be better than being trapped in a truck with someone who didn't know an allegory from an algorithm? There was nothing pretty about the way they argued.

But Cam knew that as well as he did. He knew how they fought, how different they were, how hard a time they had in each other's worlds. He knew his thesis bored Hunter out of his mind, and he knew Hunter would rather watch the game with someone who actually paid attention once in a while. And yet he could still say...

"How do you know?" Hunter asked abruptly.

Cam turned around, almost cross-eyed as he frowned down at the tie he was trying to arrange. "Know what?" he countered, giving it a sharp tug.

Hunter rolled his eyes, strode over and batted Cam's hands away. "That you love me," he said impatiently. He untangled the tie and smoothed it out, starting from scratch. "How do you know you love me?"

Cam held perfectly still, watching his hands. "I don't," he muttered at last. "I just said it to freak you out. How do you know how to do someone else's tie, anyway?"

"Funny," Hunter informed him. As he finished he reminded Cam, "I have a younger brother, you know."

"Yeah, you and Blake really strike me as the black tie type," Cam retorted. He pulled away as soon as Hunter was done, avoiding his gaze. He shrugged his tux over his shoulders, grabbed his wallet, and handed the phone to Hunter without another word.

Hunter took it automatically, watching Cam check his reflection on the way to the door. If he didn't follow, would Cam just walk out? He waited, but sure enough, Cam paused with his hand on the doorknob.

"I don't know how I know," he told the door. "I just do. I don't know why, and I don't know when. I just _do_," he repeated with a sigh.

"Hey..." He had so little clue how to answer that he was almost afraid to open his mouth. But he owed Cam some kind of response, and the only thing he was sure of was that saying nothing wouldn't cut it.

He hated this. He hated being this tentative, this _scared_. "You know I... well, I care a lot," he said awkwardly. "About you. You know that, right?"

Cam didn't move, and Hunter frowned down at the floor. "I just--maybe I'd say it to someone else without being sure, y'know? But not to you. I can't. Not without being sure."

Somewhat to his surprise, Cam nodded slowly. He didn't say anything, though, even when Hunter joined him silently by the door. Hunter hesitated, about to put a hand on his shoulder when Cam glanced sideways at him. "Thanks," he said quietly.

"Yeah." Hunter didn't know what else to say. "Cam I can't--" The words tumbled out before he could stop them and he halted, too late. Cam was watching him, waiting.

What the hell. He deserved to know at least as much as Blake did, right? "I can't lose you over this," Hunter muttered, eyes flicking from Cam to the door and back again. "I need you... at least as a friend, y'know? Maybe I never made a pass at you before because I didn't want to ruin that--our friendship."

Cam didn't blink. "Maybe," he repeated, not taking his eyes off of Hunter.

"No, really," Hunter said with a sigh. "Not maybe. That's why I didn't do it. Cause it's not like I never... _thought _about it, right? I mean..." He gestured vaguely. "Who wouldn't?"

Cam raised an eyebrow. "I don't know whether to be offended by that remark or not," he said dryly. He actually sounded amused, which Hunter took as a good sign.

This time they both jumped when someone banged on the other side of the door. Cam let go of the doorknob reflexively, and Hunter reached out to open it instead. Blake was in the hallway--alone--and he definitely didn't look amused.

"I'm trying to get married, here," he reminded them. "Sometime today, guys?"

"We're ready," Hunter said quickly. He followed Cam out into the hallway, then stopped suddenly. "Don't forget your guitar."

Cam gave him an unreadable look, and he just stared back. No, they hadn't talked about it. Yes, they were still going to do it. They had practiced before all this happened. If they could do it then, they could do it now.

Without another word, Cam turned and ducked back into the room. "What song are you doing?" Blake asked, diverted for the moment.

"It's a surprise," Hunter told him. He would never live it down if Blake found out ahead of time. He occupied himself by checking his pockets until Cam reappeared, guitar case in hand. "Let's go."

They didn't get a moment alone for the rest of the afternoon. Blake piled everyone into his car, claiming he didn't trust either Dustin _or_ Hunter to get there on time at this point. Hunter was just grateful that Shane and Dustin let him have the front seat without argument, because he didn't think he could take riding next to Cam for any length of time right now. Blake's car wasn't that big.

Hell, no car was that big.

Rosie met them at the door of Waysmeet, and it wasn't quite the insanity Hunter had expected. It was really just the five of them and Rosie, Grandma when she finally showed up, and their arguments over how best to pin a flower spray. Grandma was awfully good at it, but she kept redoing Blake's and Hunter wasn't about to put up with that. He let Rosie pin his flowers to his tux while Shane and Dustin did a practice run down the aisle with the runner.

He really didn't mean to end up with Cam's flowers, but some part of him must have been a glutton for punishment. When Rosie went to help Shane and Dustin, he took Cam's flowers away from him and tried to pretend he wasn't using any excuse to get close. He really was gonna be accused of mother henning at this rate, but what was more innocent than pinning flowers?

A whole lot of things, he decided, catching Cam's gaze when they were both pretending not to look. Grandma was still fussing over Blake, and Hunter risked a quick smile. Cam's expression softened noticeably. And what he wouldn't have given to kiss him then, just once. Maybe more than once. No... he'd settle for once.

Cam cleared his throat, glancing over Hunter's shoulder, and Hunter lowered his gaze quickly. He immediately pricked his finger, shook it out, and saw Cam's annoyed look when he stuck it in his mouth. He smirked, so tempted to say something, but Shane's voice stopped him.

"You guys want to give us a hand with the ribbons? We'll save half for you," he added, and it was impossible to tell whether that was an offer or a threat.

"Yeah, can't wait," Cam called back, the sarcasm unmistakable.

Then Grandma was peering around his shoulder, clearly not impressed with his effort. "Let me help you, dear," she suggested, in the way that wasn't a suggestion at all. Hunter surrendered his position with some reluctance, and Dustin immediately claimed his help with the ribbons.

"We're gonna put the rose petals under the table out front," he whispered, handing over a bunch of tangled ribbons that Hunter was apparently supposed to do something with. "They'll be covered up, so can you grab them and make sure people take a handful or something on their way out front?"

Hunter nodded, holding up the ribbons inquiringly. "What am I supposed to do with these?"

Dustin untangled one and pointed at the chairs that lined the aisle. "I dunno, we're just tying them in a bow here. Grandma says Tori's mom sent them, but she doesn't know why exactly."

Cam joined them a moment later, and Rosie and Grandma made sure Shane and Dustin ended up with the appropriate flowers. They all hung out in the chapel for as long as they could get away with it, until the first guests started to arrive. It wasn't anyone Hunter knew, though they were expecting Senseis Omino and Watanabe before the ceremony started.

Leane was supposed to be coming too, and wouldn't she just have a field day with Cam. She had teased him about Cam literally for _years_, the way only a foster sister could and get away with it. He tried to keep them apart as much as possible.

"Well, this is it," Blake said, as they made themselves scarce. There was a prep room off to one side of the chapel, and Rosie had told them that waiting there was up to them. She wasn't going to tell them how to run a wedding, and for that Hunter already liked her.

"You nervous?" he asked his brother, settling on the arm of one of the chairs.

"Totally," Blake said, with a silly grin that gave the lie to his answer. "I can't believe we're actually doing this. It doesn't even feel real."

"It's real, bro." Hunter smiled ruefully at that, not sure he was one to talk. "But I kind of know what you mean. I keep thinking I'm gonna wake up and it will all be a dream."

"Yeah..." Blake studied him. "You apologize to Cam?"

Hunter nodded, not trusting himself to say any more.

"You want to explain that smirk?" Blake prompted. That grin still defined his expression. "C'mon, bro; you can listen to me go on about the wedding or you can tell me what you said to Cam. Up to you."

Hunter went to stuff his hands in his pockets before he remembered what he was wearing. "We kind of... talked," he mumbled to the floor. "You know. Figured out where we stand."

"Which is?" Blake wanted to know.

"You really don't have anything better to think about?" Hunter asked, trying to hide his smile. Now just thinking about Cam was making him grin. That was great. If nothing else, being friends had been easier. And a lot less conspicuous.

"I have to be distracted," Blake informed him. "That's your job."

"Sure, right," Hunter agreed with a grin. It was supposed to be a sigh, but it came out as a grin anyway. "I'll distract you all the way through the ceremony, and Tor'll just love me for that."

"Until the ceremony," Blake stressed. "_Until_ the ceremony, bro."

"Ah. Right." Hunter pretended to consider this, then gave his brother a sidelong glance. He was so gonna get mocked for this, but it certainly fell into the category of distraction. "Hey, bro--how'd you know you were in love with Tori?"

Blake leaned back against the door, regarding him with open amusement. "This about me? Or you?"

Hunter just shrugged. He couldn't get used to Blake being smarter than him, sometimes. You looked out for your little bro, you didn't go to him for advice. But who else was there? He'd die before he asked his "big sister" for help. He wasn't as close to Sensei as he'd once been, and to be honest, he couldn't imagine ever asking him about this.

"I don't know," Blake said, sobering when Hunter didn't respond. "I guess... maybe it's not about knowing, so much. It's just something I feel."

"Since when?" Hunter wanted to know. "From the first time you saw her?"

Blake snorted. "Yeah, right. You know I don't believe in that stuff, bro. She was just a cute chick. A really cute chick," he added with a smirk, "but still. You don't fall for someone just by looking at them."

"Then how?" Hunter insisted. "What," he added, when Blake shook his head. "Tori never grilled you about this stuff?"

Blake just grinned at him. "You're thinking way too much about this, bro."

"That'd be a first," Hunter muttered.

"Look, it's simple." Blake folded his arms, insufferably amused by the whole situation. "Who's the most important person in your life?"

"You," Hunter replied promptly.

"After me," Blake countered.

Hunter didn't answer.

"Cam, right?" Blake didn't even wait for him to reply. "There you go. Just tell him and get it over with."

"Just because he's important doesn't mean I love him," Hunter argued.

Blake rolled his eyes. "No, of course not. It just means you feel more strongly about him than anyone else in the _world._ So I'm guessing you're either in love with him, or you really hate him."

"Some days I could go either way," Hunter grumbled.

"Bro..." Blake frowned a little, his expression becoming more thoughtful. "You and me. We're not so good with family, right? With love, and stuff like that." He didn't seem to expect an answer, and for a long moment he just stood there, arms crossed, staring at the desk beside Hunter.

"We're not close to a lot of people," Blake said at last. "It doesn't mean we can't be, we're just--not used to it." He looked up at Hunter then, giving him a self-conscious smile. "So I guess... when someone comes along who does want to be close... don't push them away just because it feels strange at first."

Hunter stared back at him, wondering. When had Blake grown up? He'd thought he was paying attention. "Did it feel strange to you?"

"Yeah," Blake said emphatically, and his grin was back. "_Really_ strange. Like, 'oh God, if she really knew me she wouldn't feel that way' strange."

"Yeah," Hunter echoed. More quietly, he admitted, "I know what you mean."

Blake straightened up, wandering over to the chair and sitting down next to Hunter. They sat in silence for a few minutes, until finally Blake remarked, "You and Cam are good together, bro. I think it'd be cool if you got together."

"Yeah?" Hunter twisted a little to look down at him. "Well, if I have your blessing. I'll just propose now."

That made Blake chuckle. "Yeah, I can see you guys getting married. With your schedules, you'd have to do it over the phone."

"We could do it by webcast," Hunter said thoughtfully. "That way we could have lots of guests and we wouldn't have to feed them."

The door opened, making both of them look up, but it was just Rosie. She stepped inside without a word, closing the door behind her and regarding them carefully. "You have the ring?" she asked Hunter.

Blake was already standing up when Hunter nodded. "Are they here?" his brother demanded.

"Not yet," Rosie told them. "I just came to back to check on you. How are you doing?"

Blake exchanged glances with him. "I'm cool," he answered. Then he added with a smirk, "Hunter's more nervous than I am."

Hunter shot him a warning look, but Rosie just smiled. "I'm glad to hear it," she said, and Hunter glared at her too, for good measure. "They should be here soon," Rosie continued, unperturbed. "I'll be back when they are."

"Thanks," Blake said with a sigh, sinking back into the chair. "I think I lied," he added, as she left.

"Nah." Hunter clapped him on the shoulder. "You and Tori are good together too, bro. You know you want to do this."

"Yeah," Blake said ruefully, "I'm just not sure I want to do it in front of so many people."

"You've performed in front of crowds," Hunter pointed out. "Same thing."

"Not the same thing," Blake contradicted. "I didn't have to say anything!"

"But you--"

"You're supposed to be distracting me," Blake interrupted. "Tell me what song you're doing at the reception."

"Forget it," Hunter said, just as quickly. "Nice try, but you'll find out with everyone else."

"It's my wedding," Blake protested. "I deserve to know!"

"What are you, five?" Hunter retorted. "You'll find out at the reception! It'll give you something to distract you until then," he added with a smirk.

"It'd be a better distraction if I knew what the song was," Blake muttered. Privately, Hunter agreed, but he wasn't about to tell him so.

They argued about it a while longer, eventually getting back to the question of what Hunter had actually told Cam earlier, and it was at that point that he felt more drastic measures of distraction were called for. So he asked Blake to list the reception menu, the order of dances, and who had chosen the other songs that would be playing. Blake must have known what he was doing, but he had to be more nervous than he looked because he actually answered every question.

Rosie finally came back to rescue them, and Blake was at the door with her almost before Hunter had finished standing up. He looked back as Hunter joined them, and Hunter squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. Blake smiled, a little weakly, and Hunter leaned in to whisper, "If Tor cries, I have tissues in my pocket."

Blake brightened immediately, and he gave Hunter a grateful look. "Thanks, bro."

"Just doing my job," Hunter answered quietly, watching Blake straighten a little more confidently. He wasn't talking about the tissues. _I'll always have your back, bro._

They walked out together, following Rosie up to the altar where the other groomsmen joined them. She stood in front of it, as they did, and Hunter glanced back toward Cam. Their eyes met, briefly, and Cam smiled. It was strangely reassuring, and he found himself smiling back.

The pianist paused, and there was a rustle as everyone craned their necks toward the back of the room. Hunter took the opportunity to look around, catching Leane's eye in the front row and resisting the temptation to mouth _Better late than never!_ in her direction. Sensei sat beside her, with Grandma in the aisle seat.

The front aisle seat on Tori's side was empty. Beside it sat her grandparents, and--to Hunter's amusement--Cam's father. He didn't recognize most of the other people, but then, he didn't have time to do an in-depth survey, either. Everyone looked different in formal clothes.

Jeike appeared at the back of the room, but it wasn't until she reached the aisle and stepped onto the runner that Hunter realized why. Her daughter was dropping flower petals with her free hand, while her other hand--and the basket--was clasped firmly in her mother's. Jeike held onto her bouquet with _her _free hand, and they managed to look pretty decent as they made their way toward the front of the chapel.

He poked Blake as subtly as he could. "She never got the straight line thing down, huh?" he whispered. Blake shook his head very slightly.

Hunter flashed Jeike a thumbs-up as she reached the end of the runner, and she smiled ruefully at him. She walked her daughter slowly across the front row, letting go of her hand only when the man next to Sensei Watanabe reached for her. The boyfriend Jeike had mentioned the day before, Hunter assumed. Her daughter climbed up in the seat next to him without protest, and he took the basket and slid it under his seat.

Marah was already halfway down the aisle by the time Jeike took her place in front of the altar, and Kapri was right behind her. They were both more showy than Jeike, less solemn but not as cute as Jeike's daughter, either. Erin was the last to enter alone, calmer than any of the women before her and with a smile that made it look like she'd rather be here than anywhere else. She was quite an actress, Hunter decided.

The music paused again, just for a moment this time, and everyone in front of the altar shuffled a little to make sure they were in the right place. Like any of them knew what the right place was. Hunter figured as long as Tori and Blake fit between the two sides, they were doing okay.

Tori walked through the chapel doors, on her mother's arm. Hunter glanced sideways at Blake, saw his brother still grinning like an idiot, wondered idly if Blake's face was getting tired. It was hard to smile for that long. He didn't seem worried.

Tori's mom escorted her to the front of the room and paused in front of the altar to lift her veil away from her face. She kissed her daughter on the cheek, whispered something in her ear, and Hunter saw Tori flash her a smile before she went to sit down. Then she turned to Blake, and his grin must have looked about right because her smile was just as big. They were disgustingly cute together, Hunter thought with a sigh.

Rosie never moved to stand behind the altar, which surprised him a little. She welcomed everyone while Blake and Tori stared into each other's eyes, then had them turn and face the room to introduce themselves. Nice twist on the presenting thing, since between the two of them they didn't even have enough parents to make it look convincing.

_We're not so good with family,_ Blake had said. No... maybe not. But it made the family they did have more precious. The two of them had always known that, and after they lost their parents they had been very careful about who they allowed in.

Yet here was Blake, standing in front of a room full of people he would call "family" by the end of the day. It was a small room, granted, but still a full one. Hunter supposed they would be his family too, by default, but clearly Blake had done most of the work. Being alone was a hard habit to break.

"Power of nature," Rosie was saying. "Spirit of life, protect the ones we love."

Hunter blinked. What had he missed here? Blake had told him the wedding would be "non-denominational," but he hadn't mentioned "power of nature." Maybe he should have been paying more attention.

"We honor the earth," Rosie told them. She stood behind Blake and Tori, with them still facing the rest of the room. "We ask that this marriage be solid and true, growing stronger with the seasons."

Hunter shifted a little, so that he was facing the audience more than Blake and Tori, and he noticed that most of the others had already done the same thing. Interesting. This couldn't have been mentioned at the rehearsal?

"We honor the air," Rosie continued, not referring to any notes. Had she done this kind of ceremony before? "We ask that it lift us up as we soar through life: safe and calm, free to share that which matters most.

"We honor the water." And with those words, Hunter realized what she was doing. She was reciting the ninja elements. The question was, did _she_ know what she was doing? "We ask that it cleanse and soothe this union, that it may never thirst for love.

"We honor all that is under the great sky," Rosie said, looking from Blake to Tori with a smile, "as these two young people pledge their hearts and their lives to each other. They will now exchange rings, as a symbol of their love and a reminder of their promise."

Slightly surprised, Hunter scrambled for Tori's ring. Either he had missed the vows, or they were doing something out of order here. Rosie turned to Erin first, who of course had Blake's ring on her pinky or something. Why were women so efficient? He had the other ring by the time Rosie came to him, and this time he took a closer look at the book she held out to him. It was full of... flower pictures? He didn't ask, but he wanted to.

She turned back to Blake and Tori, who were facing each other again, and she started to say something about rings that he didn't pay that much attention to. Jeike's daughter had pulled the flower basket out from under the chairs, and she was sprinkling petals all over the floor in front of her seat. Jeike's boyfriend was perfectly aware of what she was doing, and apparently felt it was one of the least disruptive things she could be up to. Smart man.

There were the vows, after all. Okay, traditional wedding vows after random ninja blessings. He kinda liked this wedding. He wondered how much of it Blake and Tori had come up with on their own--had they planned the whole thing, or had Rosie helped them? And what book was she holding, anyway?

He had heard of unity candles, and Rosie had mentioned one at the rehearsal last night. What she hadn't mentioned was the blessing that she was going to give afterward. When Blake and Tori returned to their places, both their candles still burning on either side of the blue unity candle, Rosie set her book down on the altar behind her and took their hands.

Bringing them together, Rosie lifted her voice and declared, "Wind and thunder, bless these souls: to love and to trust what they don't control."

Hunter couldn't help it. He looked over his shoulder. Shane was grinning, but when he caught Hunter's eye he shook his head slightly. He hadn't known that was coming either, then. Hunter really wanted to know how much they had told Rosie.

"It isn't my place to sanctify the bond that already exists between you," she was telling them. "But you have come here to stand before your families with love in your hearts, and to declare yourself to them as husband and wife. In the eyes of the state of California, you are married today. In the bonds of your family, you are united."

Blake leaned forward to kiss Tori, and Hunter started to clap. He caught Erin's eye and nodded to her, turning to the other guys for backup, and he heard Dustin's laugh as the rest of the wedding party followed suit. He lifted his hands toward the audience, grinning as the applause started in the front row and worked its way back. Crowds... He was good with crowds.

Blake and Tori turned together as the pianist began to play again, and the clapping continued as they made their way down the aisle. Hunter stepped forward and offered his arm to Erin, smiling at the audience but tilting his head toward her as they followed Blake and Tori out. "You look great," he said, just loudly enough for her ears.

"You too," she answered. "Never thought I'd see all you guys in tuxes at once."

"Don't get used to it," he said with a grin. "I think it's a one time deal. Nice job with the flowers, by the way."

"Thanks. Marah and Kapri designed them, and the rest of us got conscripted when they ran out of time. I think Tori made mine, actually."

Blake and Tori were already gone as they stepped out of the chapel, circling back around to wait for all the guests to file out. "Hey, there's a box with rose petals in it under the table just inside the front door," Hunter told her. "You want to grab it while I go back in?"

"Sure!" Erin agreed. "Who brought rose petals?"

"Shane and Dustin," Hunter told her, then grinned at her expression. "Yeah, believe it or not. Just tell everyone to take a handful, okay?"

Shane and Kapri were coming through the door as Hunter and Erin went their separate ways, and he heard Erin call to Kapri, "Be right back!" Hunter doubted Kapri was worried at having to stand there alone for thirty seconds, but then, what did he know?

Erin was standing by the door again when he escorted Lila Hanson out, box of rose petals in hand, and Tori's mom was clearly delighted. Hunter grabbed a handful himself and left Erin to answer questions. She didn't seem to mind, and Cam was standing with Marah and Kapri--looking put upon, as he always did in their presence.

He acknowledged Hunter's presence with a half-smile, and Hunter thought he could get used to that... Cam smiling at him. The fact that it made him smile back, totally involuntarily, was a little less convenient, but Marah and Kapri were too busy arguing over which of their bouquets had come out better to notice. Apparently they had been trying to get Cam's opinion, and when Hunter joined them their focus shifted to him.

"They both look fine," he told them, rolling his eyes at Cam. Kapri didn't miss the look, which he made no effort to hide, and he got a slap on the arm for his effort. He also got a smirk from Cam, which was a fair tradeoff as far as he was concerned.

They stood around for what seemed like long enough for every guest to leave, come back, and go to the bathroom, but finally they had lined the walkway with people and rose petals. Tori and Blake re-emerged, walking through the doors arm in arm, laughing as the first rose petals flew and stopping to hug half the wedding party as they went. Hunter gave his brother a bear hug, embraced Tori carefully, and stood back to watch them make their way toward the sidewalk.

There were rose petals everywhere. He saw Tori's photographer friend snapping pictures of the pavement, and he wondered idly if someone would clean that up or not. The semi-receiving line collapsed behind the newlyweds, following them toward the limo and then starting to disperse as the photographer gathered the wedding party up. Pictures, Hunter thought with a sigh. This could go on for a while.

"Water?" Cam was beside him again, and he took the miniature water bottle before he thought to question it.

"Where'd this come from?" he asked, twisting the top off.

"The limo driver." Cam watched as the photographer arranged Tori and her family, calling out a countdown to each picture. "Tori's mom is taking Blake's car to the reception."

"Yeah?" Hunter wondered if they could convince the limo to stop and get some food on the way. "You put your guitar in the limo?"

He saw Cam give him a sideways glance. "I left it in the car. Mrs. Hanson said she'd take it into the reception hall for me."

"Cool." Hunter looked around at the sound of a shriek, watching Jeike's daughter get tossed into the air. That was hard to do with a four-year-old. Even a three-year-old.

"Blake's family," the photographer called, and he passed his water bottle to Cam without a word. He stood with his bro, his grandma, Tori, Tori's relatives, and every possible combination thereof. Then the wedding party got involved, and it started all over again.

By the time they finally climbed into the limo, he thought he might be developing a camera allergy. He definitely couldn't smile for that long, not and make it look natural. He slid across the back seat to make room for Blake and Tori, trying not to wince when the photographer asked for champagne glasses. She was going to take pictures _in_ the limo?

Yes, she was. His annoyance was only overcome by the fact that, in order to keep him out of the pictures, he was required to join the groomsmen on the side seat. And Cam had been the last one in before him. "Move over," he said gruffly, shoving onto the already full seat.

"Hey, I've got an idea," Dustin said from the other end. "Why don't I just ride in someone's lap, and we'll all fit."

"Mine's open," Marah said sweetly, provoking a round of giggles from the all-female front seat. Jeike was the only member of the wedding party not crammed into the limo, and Hunter half envied her the uncrowded ride with her daughter and boyfriend.

Only half, though, because Cam had barely moved--not that he had room to--and there was something to be said for the cramped quarters. "Erin," Hunter called, leaning out of Blake's way. "Are you pouring the rest of that champagne, or what?"

"I think we're all set," the photographer declared at last, putting her camera over her shoulder and leaning in to give Tori a hug. "I'll meet you at the reception, right?"

"Yeah..." Tori looked around the limo and said apologetically, "We'd give you a ride, but--"

"My equipment could take up a whole limo on its own," her girlfriend said with a laugh. "It's nice enough that you're going to feed me, you don't have to give me a ride too!"

"Hey, thanks for taking all this time," Blake said, lifting his glass to her.

"We really appreciate it," Tori agreed sincerely.

"Consider it my wedding present," her friend said, straightening up and smiling down at them. "Congratulations, guys."

The limo driver waited until she had stepped away to close the door. "You can move now," Cam remarked. Hunter ignored him.

"Hey, pour some for me too," Dustin said, passing a champagne glass down to Hunter. "We brought some hard lemonade, too, for anyone who's not into champagne."

"Or even if you are," Shane said with a grin. "I'll take one of those, dude."

"Yeah, me too," Cam said, surprising him. The limo started rolling, and he braced himself against the back seat as Cam leaned into him.

"You drink hard lemonade?" he asked, not at all opposed to the situation.

Cam just shrugged. "The citrus overwhelms the taste of alcohol."

"Dude, you don't like the taste?" Dustin exclaimed. "I didn't know that!"

"No one likes the taste," Shane said, rolling his eyes. "It's not about taste."

"It is to me," Cam retorted, accepting a bottle from Dustin. "Thanks."

"Pass one of those lemonades down here," Tori said, rearranging her dress and handing her still-full glass to Blake. "I don't like champagne either."

"Hey, we're even on the drink front now," Blake reminded her. "Don't expect me to drink both of these!"

Hunter plucked the second glass out of his hands and put it back in the rack. He took a lemonade from Erin and handed it to Tori as he settled back in his seat. Cam tipped his bottle toward Hunter, and he wasn't about to turn that down. He tried some and passed it back, shrugging a little. "It's not bad," he admitted.

"It's homemade," Dustin told him, leaning around Shane to talk. "We made it last night--or the night before last," he added, frowning a little. "Dude?"

"Night before last," Shane supplied. "Feels kind of like we haven't slept since we got here, huh?"

"You said it," Dustin agreed.

Hunter glanced at Cam, found him looking back. He managed not to smirk, but it was a near thing. If Cam had shown the slightest hint of a smile, he wouldn't have been able to keep a straight face.

"So what happens at the reception?" Kapri wanted to know. "We all get to be introduced, right?"

"Right," Blake confirmed, grinning as he and Tori exchanged glances. "We're gonna come in to the AGU broomball fight song."

"No, we're not!" she protested, laughing at what was clearly a private joke. "It's 'Invincible'... Blake's choice," she added, as though it was important they know. "Then we'll do toasts, and eat, and dance."

"Unless you guys want to do your song before Shane," Blake said, looking over at Hunter. "You can go while everyone else eats, if you want."

He caught Cam's eye, and they both shook their heads at the same time. "Nah," Hunter said. "We'll wait till everyone's had a chance to dance for a while."

"What song are you doing?" Erin wanted to know.

"They won't tell us," Blake said, before Hunter could answer. "It's supposed to be a secret."

Cam raised his eyebrows. "It is?" he asked, giving Hunter an amused look. "No one told me."

"Well, do you want to tell them?" Hunter demanded.

Cam considered that for a moment. "No."

"Man," Dustin complained. "We should have gotten Cam alone."

"Yeah," Shane said, lifting his champagne glass. "We know how to make people talk!"

"Get them drunk and wear them down?" Cam suggested. The remark evoked both snickers and protests, which pretty much set the tone for the rest of the ride. Hunter put one arm on the back of the seat, a move he could justify by the need to brace himself every time the limo slowed or went around a corner. It also, not coincidentally, brought him that much closer to Cam.

At one point, Blake kicked him and gave his position a pointed glance. Hunter pretended not to notice. If the best thing he got out of this ride was the chance to publicly hang on Cam, that wouldn't be such a bad thing.

He should have expected that there would be more pictures at the reception, but he was still surprised to climb out of the limo and find not just Jeike but Tori's friend waiting for them as well. She started directing them while the girls were still straightening their dresses out, but at least this time it was just the wedding party. Maybe they would be spared a repeat of the endless family photos?

Cam bumped his elbow as he turned away from the limo's driver side. "That was subtle," he remarked, under his breath. "You want to maybe sit in my lap next time?"

"Complain and I'll kiss you," Hunter warned. He didn't make any effort to keep his voice down. If Cam was his, he didn't see why he should be expected to pretend otherwise.

Cam narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Hunter's expression. "You wouldn't dare."

Hunter took a step closer and lowered his head. Cam backed away hastily, looking flustered for the first time since they'd left the hotel. "Okay, you win!"

"Oh?" Hunter said with a smirk. That was new. On the list of Things He'd Never Expected Cam To Say, that had to be right up there. "What do I win?"

"Bro," Blake called impatiently. "Today!"

They submitted to another round of Shuffle The Wedding Party, but finally the photographer let them go. The DJ met them just inside the doors, in what was apparently the hall lobby, and suddenly Hunter realized he was about to give his toast. As he took Erin's arm, something made her smile.

"Ready?" she asked quietly, as the DJ disappeared into the hall and the music quieted a moment later. "Did you write a toast, or are you doing it off the top of your head?"

"Yes," he muttered. "Invincible" started to play, and he wasn't sure she even heard him. He watched Cam and Jeike stride through the doors, their rhythm surprisingly good for two people who had never met until yesterday. Jeike's doing, no doubt. Cam didn't adapt for anyone.

He peered through the doors while the others were introduced, located the head table and the DJ, and waited until he heard their names to walk out with Erin. He didn't see any of the people he passed, registering only round tables and white tablecloths. The wedding party's table was round, too, which made seating sort of a first come, first serve affair. He ended up between Erin and Kapri, a strange combination but one he was too distracted to pay much attention to.

Blake and Tori entered, waving, grinning, laughing at all the attention. The applause was almost loud enough to make the DJ's introduction unintelligible. He waited until they reached the table, clapped Blake on the shoulder, and started the walk back to where the DJ had set up. The piece of paper he had given Blake was in his pocket... was he actually going to do this?

Switching his glass from one hand to the other, he took the mike from the DJ and looked out at the fast quieting room. The entire wedding party was still standing, waiting for him to speak. Dramatic pause. Yeah... this he knew.

"Today is about family," Hunter said at last, committing himself to the words that were only now crystalizing in his head. "Our parents always told us that family was what you made it. Well, we're making one here today."

Yeah, he had written a toast. No, he wasn't using it. So?

"I asked Blake how he knew he loved Tori." His gaze slid toward Cam's and away again quickly, knowing nothing would distract him faster. "He said it wasn't about knowing. It was about feeling. He feels something for Tori that's stronger than blood, and he would know. He comes from a family that has nothing to do with blood."

Look at Marah, Kapri, and Cam. Blood didn't make a family.

"Love makes a family," Hunter told the room. "And it's not about knowing, or being related, or anything like that. It's just what you make it. Blake and Tori have made it about all of us. Blake and I are part of a family that's bigger than just the two of us again, and it's because of love.

"That means a lot to me," Hunter admitted, more quietly. "But I know it means even more to Blake. So thanks, Tori. And thanks to all of you." He raised his glass as he looked around the room. "Here's to love."

You knew it was a good toast when people repeated it to each other as they clinked glasses. He caught Cam's eye again, not surprised to find the other staring at him. Probably trying to figure that out... Cam knew that hadn't been what he planned to say.

Tori's mom was coming over to join him, now. She accepted the mike but held it away from them as she murmured, "That was lovely, Hunter."

He smiled, a little distracted but not immune to the compliment. "Thanks. Off the cuff."

"You speak well," she said, lifting her glass to him. He clinked his glass against hers automatically, and she smiled back. "Welcome to the family."

He found his way back to the table as she started to speak, and to be honest, he didn't hear a word she said. He was too busy trying not to look at Cam, tapping glasses belatedly and quietly with everyone at the table, and still trying not to look at Cam. Tori flashed a brilliant smile at him. He knew Blake was happy. His brother had the look.

What he didn't know was what Cam was thinking, and he had never thought it could make him this crazy. They found themselves next to each other in the buffet line, and all Cam said was, "Nice toast." Before Hunter could figure out how to respond, Dustin jostled him and Marah started bugging Cam about the food. Hunter was this close to telling her to suck it up and be adventurous, but what could he say to Cam in front of everyone else?

PDAs were one thing. Words were something totally different.

He suffered through the meal, trying not to come off as totally distracted when he really was. The food could have been great or terrible; he didn't know the difference. Had it really been only this time yesterday that he could look at Cam and smirk, totally confident that the look would be returned without reading any more into it? Now he knew why people made such a fuss over weddings. They were like some kind of time warp.

If the morning had crawled, dinner flew, which made him both grateful and nervous at the same time. As much as he wanted to know what Cam was thinking, he wasn't sure he could face him alone. Would he even be able to make Cam believe him?

He was going to spend the entire evening thinking about Cam, wasn't he. Not like that would be anything new. Not after the last 24 hours.

"The DJ says he's ready any time," Shane reported, leaning against the back of his chair. "What do you guys think?"

Blake set his glass down, looking over at Tori. "I think we're ready," she declared.

"Let's show 'em how it's done," Blake agreed, pushing his chair back and holding out his hand to her. She stood up, smoothing her dress out, and they followed Shane out into the clear area in front of the table.

Shane took his place off to one side as the DJ passed him the mike. The music faded away, and Hunter glanced over as Cam slid into the empty seat beside him. "Do you know what he's doing?" Cam asked quietly.

"Singing?" Hunter suggested. Cam rolled his eyes, and then Shane was speaking.

"I've known Tori for a long time," he said, smiling at the couple on the dance floor. "I want to say congratulations to her and to Blake. I know you guys will make as great a team as we did, way back when."

Brave of him, Hunter thought. Not exactly a wedding toast, and not a reference that most of the people here would get. But Shane was continuing, "It's my great honor and privilege to cover a song, appropriately titled 'A Love Song,' for your first dance together as husband and wife."

Hunter glanced at Cam, saw Cam raise his eyebrows. He had braced his elbows on his knees when he sat down, taking Erin's empty chair and making it look like he was just passing through. But Erin was on her way back, ducking away from whoever she had been talking to at one of the other tables, and Cam showed no signs of moving. Erin claimed Blake's chair on his other side without a word.

_"There's a wind in a willow wood..."_ Hunter looked back at Shane as he started to sing, a little surprised that he had instrumental backup. How had he coordinated that with the DJ? _"Flies so true and sings so good, and it brings to you what it sings to you"_

Blake had never learned to dance, at least not as far as Hunter knew, but it didn't matter. He and Tori just held each other, turning slowly, Blake's arm around her and their clasped hands pressed between them. Tori smiled when he whispered something in her ear, and Hunter watched the relatives gather like their cameras had magnets in them.

_"Like my brother the wind and I, he told me if I try I could fly for you"_ Shane's voice sounded surprisingly good here, and Hunter wondered idly how much he had been singing lately. _"And I want to try for you..."_

Sunlight was still slanting in through the windows, but there were flashes going off every few seconds. Hunter forgave Tori's photographer friend, because professional photographers seemed to be inherently flash-happy. But honestly, couldn't the rest of them just click the shutter like everyone else?

"I don't think this song is about the wind," Cam murmured.

Hunter glanced over at him. "Only you would look for hidden meaning in a wedding song."

"No, I mean I think I've heard this song before," Cam said. "I don't think it's about the wind."

Hunter shrugged, gaze wandering back to Blake and Tori. They looked perfectly happy, Tori's head resting on Blake's shoulder as she smiled at the people lining the dance floor with cameras. She must have picked the song, but he couldn't fault her choice.

"It's pretty," Hunter said at last, not taking his eyes off of them.

He felt Cam lean closer before he heard him ask, "Sorry?"

He turned his head. "It's pretty," he repeated quietly, looking away from his brother and drawing back a little when he realized how close Cam was. "I like the song."

_"Summer thunder on moon-bright days..."_ The words surprised him, and he saw Cam's expression soften. _"Northern lights and skies ablaze, I bring to you, lover, when I sing to you"_

Cam looked away, but Hunter kept watching him for a moment. Cam wasn't distracted. He knew Hunter was still looking at him. Cam was avoiding his gaze deliberately, and that was kind of--

Don't say it, he told himself firmly. It isn't cute. There's nothing cute about it.

_"Silver wings in a fiery sky, show the trail of my love and I"_ Blake and Tori were smiling at each other now, and they were doing a good job of ignoring everyone around them. _"I sing to you, love is what I bring to you..."_

It suddenly occurred to him that the rest of the wedding party might not know what was coming. Had that been his responsibility? "Cam, Erin," he whispered, gesturing to get Erin's attention. "All of us are going to dance after this."

Cam gave him an odd look, but he just tapped Kapri and repeated his warning. "We're not doing the family dances," he added quietly, catching Dustin's eye as he spoke to Kapri. "They're just going to have their song, and then one for the whole wedding party. Tell Marah and Jeike."

_"I wanna sing you a love song..." _Shane's voice drifted above the flurry of whispers at the head table, and Hunter saw Cam glance over at Jeike. _"I wanna rock you in my arms all night long"_

He had a feeling he was would be hearing this song on every visit with Blake for quite a while. He supposed there were worse things. _"I wanna get to know you..."_

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up in surprise. Cam had gotten up and his eyes were elsewhere, making nothing of what was apparently an absent-minded shoulder pat as he turned away. Hunter watched him as he circled around the table, taking his place next to Jeike again.

"I wanna show you the peaceful feeling of my home"

The song faded into silence, and he looked over at the dance floor in time to see Blake and Tori hug each other tightly. And damned if every single person with a camera didn't have to take a picture of that, too. He loved his brother, but did he need five hundred pictures of him dancing with Tori? And if _he_ didn't, what was everyone else so worried about?

He had expected them to start the music again as soon as the clapping died down, but he had forgotten the cutting of the cake. Of course. There had to be yet another wedding ritual they hadn't fulfilled. He wondered if someone somewhere had a list. Would Tori throw her bouquet, too? And how were they going to serve that cake to everyone in the reception hall?

Blake and Tori were far too polite about feeding each other cake, which meant that he got no entertainment out of it at all. Erin amused him during the wedding party dance, though, and her whispered observations about the colors being worn by assorted relatives saved the experience for him. He managed to not watch Cam the entire time, anyway, and that was something.

When the DJ finally invited everyone onto the dance floor, he realized just what it meant to be the groom's brother. Apparently every woman in the hall had a claim on his time, if not as a dance partner than at least as a well-wisher. It was more than a little overwhelming, and he knew he wasn't going to remember a single one of them by tomorrow morning.

He finally exhausted the supply of relatives, or at least outpaced them momentarily, and looked around for Cam. He was sitting down at the head table, along with Dustin, Erin, and Jeike. The girls had wedding cake in front of them, and as Hunter got closer he could tell that the empty plates in front of Cam and Dustin had once held cake too.

"Hey," he said, hovering behind Cam and making no attempt to fit into the conversation. "C'mon and dance with me."

Erin looked up in surprise, as though he might be talking to her, but Cam knew what he meant. He didn't look particularly amused to be interrupted, either. "I'm not in the mood to kid around, Hunter."

"I'm not kidding," Hunter told him. "I'm totally serious."

Cam rolled his eyes, clearly not convinced, and Hunter stopped him before he could say anything. "Cam, don't make me look like an idiot, here." He put one hand behind his back and held the other out to Cam, the way Blake had when he and Tori were getting up. "Dance with me. Please."

Cam closed his mouth at that, studying him for a moment. Whatever he saw must have been enough, because the corner of his mouth quirked and he nodded once. Without a word, he took Hunter's hand and stood up, following him around the table and out into the cleared area that was serving as a dance floor.

"Can't remember the last time you said please," Cam remarked, as Hunter stepped closer to him and put a hand on his waist. "Hey--"

"I'm taller," Hunter informed him. "I lead."

"You're taller than everyone," Cam muttered. But he let his free hand settle against Hunter's shoulder, staring fixedly over his other shoulder so their gazes wouldn't meet.

"Yeah," Hunter agreed unrepentantly. "Convenient for me. I only had to learn to dance once."

That provoked a snort from Cam. "You can't dance."

"Can you?" Hunter wanted to know.

Cam frowned, surprised into catching his eye. "What?"

"Can you dance?" Hunter repeated patiently. It wasn't such a strange question.

Cam shrugged. "I can waltz. At least in principle."

Hunter suppressed a smirk. "Show me."

"What?" Now Cam was really looking at him strangely.

He tightened his hand on Cam's and forced him to stop, staring down at him intently. The song that was playing didn't have the right time signature and it was too slow to use every other beat. They were gonna have to make it up as they went. "Ready?"

He stepped into Cam, impressed when Cam's arm stiffened against his shoulder and he stepped back automatically. He did know the principle. Hunter stepped back, turning a little, and Cam followed. Where had he learned to waltz?

"Where did you learn to waltz?" Cam hissed, echoing his thoughts.

Hunter couldn't resist. "You waltz like a girl," he teased.

Cam's jaw dropped. "You--" He recovered admirably quickly. "You're not coordinated enough to waltz backwards!"

Bluff called. "No," Hunter admitted. "You're right. But like you said... I'm taller than everyone. I don't have to."

Cam just shook his head, and Hunter tried to turn him away from another couple. Cam lost the non-existent rhythm, and they came to an awkward halt. Cam smiled a little ruefully and remarked, "I'm used to leading, too."

"You're better than I am." The words were out before he thought about them, but they were true. Before Cam could question him again, he asked, "When do you wanna sing?"

Cam hesitated, frowning slightly. "You know... we don't have to--"

"I want to," Hunter interrupted.

Cam considered that, considered him, in what was probably an annoyingly thorough fashion. "Okay," he said at last. "Any time you're ready, I guess. I could do it now."

Now was fine with Hunter. "Let me talk to the DJ." He didn't move, though, not quite ready to let go. "Thanks for the dance."

Cam gave him a half-smile, as though he wasn't quite sure what to make of that. Like he didn't know what had made Hunter ask, and he still hadn't figured out why he was here. Just ask me, Hunter thought. Just say it again, and watch me say it back. I can't do this alone, y'know.

Cam didn't get the message, of course. The music had changed, faster now, and Hunter released him when Kapri called out to them. Cam rolled his eyes, saying nothing about Hunter's judicious retreat. He turned to face Kapri while Hunter made his way toward the DJ, and Hunter absently went over the words in his mind.

The DJ was perfectly willing to set up a second mike for Cam--was so accommodating, in fact, that Hunter concluded his brother had gotten there first. Blake had so much to think about that Hunter had barely expected him to remember they were singing, let alone warn the DJ in advance. But someone must have, and Cam was paying attention, because he turned up with his guitar in hand only a few minutes later.

They had agreed not to personalize this song. They had tried it, a couple of different ways, but it made Hunter sound as though he was talking directly to Tori. And while last night it had been funny, here at the reception it would just be odd. So they had agreed to perform it exactly as it was written.

They had agreed before, anyway. Cam was gonna kill him. If he didn't die of nervousness in the meantime. A toast was a toast. But if Blake had thought their performance last night was compromising...

He didn't even hear what Cam told the rest of the reception hall. But he heard the introductory chords, caught Cam's eye to read the intent there, and opened his mouth. He kept his voice low and soft, careful of the mike's range as he began, "When I look into your warm brown eyes--"

He saw the first flicker of surprise on Cam's face and turned away quickly, concentrating only on the rhythm of the song. He knew this. He knew the chords, and he knew the new words. "When I see the body I worship, revealed to me as you slip off your clothes..."

On the plus side, being so worried about what Cam would think meant that he didn't have time left over to wonder about anyone else. Was it appropriate for a wedding reception? For a room full of family? Should he have gotten at least one of them to approve it beforehand?

No. "I'm reminded that what I feel for you will remain strong and true," he said softly, gaze sliding across the room without seeing any of it. Cam thought it was a good idea, and ultimately, he trusted Cam's judgement about things like this. "Long after the pleasures of the flesh."

Whatever Cam thought about his improvisation, he didn't miss his entrance as the guitar slipped easily back to the beginning of the phrase. "I'll go on loving you," he sang quietly, and Hunter echoed the words into his own mike. So much easier to do in a performance than in an actual conversation, he thought wryly.

Cam strummed his way through a repeat of the intro, and Hunter was forced to look at him again when he didn't follow the expected pattern. Cam met his gaze with a raised eyebrow, nothing more, and settled back into the familiar chord progression without another pause. "Be it the wind, or thunder," Hunter said, almost missing the beginning of the second verse, "or the stars up in the sky...

"I don't know what brought us together." He remembered to look out at the rest of the hall then, finally, and he wondered if he sounded as off-balance as he felt. "What strange forces of nature conspired to construct the present from the past... but I'll go on loving you."

And if hearing those words sung back to him when they practiced had been entertaining and a bit disconcerting, now it just made him shiver. It was involuntary, and he really hoped no one could tell, because he could feel Cam looking at him in between every chord shift. If that wasn't obvious enough...

Hell, what did he care? He was the one who had asked Cam to dance. He was the one who had threatened a kiss in the parking lot, and had been unreasonably disappointed when it didn't come to that. He was the one talking about Cam in front of a hall full of people that had every reason to know and care what he was saying.

He gave up. He repeated the first verse without taking his eyes off of Cam, and if there were any doubt that it was more than just a performance then he thought they did a pretty convincing job of blowing it out of the water. All in a day's work, really.

"I'll go on loving you..." It was Cam's voice that trailed off with the last strum of the C chord, and Hunter stared at him, only vaguely aware of the silence that hung over the hall. Neither of them moved.

_You could have warned me,_ Cam whispered, too quiet to hear. It was just the words on his lips and the snap in his eyes that said he was torn between amusement and annoyance.

_No I couldn't,_ Hunter answered in kind. He settled on amusement, leaning forward to interrupt that wry smile with a chaste kiss. It made Cam close his eyes, tilting his head just a little, and damned if the entire room didn't pick that moment to start applauding.

They broke apart, Cam looking horribly embarrassed and Hunter with a grin that wouldn't go away. His thumb found the switch for the mike without looking, made sure it was off, and he couldn't get rid of that grin to save his life. "Love you too."

Cam's shoulders rose and fell in a sigh that wasn't audible over the sound of the applause. "Yeah, well..." His answering smirk was a little too warm to be convincing. "Just remember who said it first."


End file.
